Return To Me
by jwatkins
Summary: An AU Story. Chuck and his team are sent on a high profile rescue mission into hostile territory. They discover that among those taken is an old flame he thought out of his life forever. Can he reach them in time?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is an AU story. It is not a continuation of any other stories, so don't freak out. It is completely its own AU. Trying something a little different to see what people think.

I am not, nor have I ever been, in the military. I am not a military historian or expert in any fashion. This is a work of fiction that I have done a small bit of research on so that it is at least grounded in the real world. It will not be 100% real world accurate and I am OK with that. It is not my intention to write a military documentary here. It's called fiction. Use your 'willing suspension of disbelief' and just go with it. It's really liberating. Trust me. You'll see.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.

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Chapter 1

Out of breath, a man burst through the door, "Mr. President ... we have a ... rather disturbing development. There are preliminary reports that at approximately 15:30 hours, the plane transporting Secretary Whitacre and his entourage has taken some unknown damage and was forced to make an emergency landing approximately 6 km east of Las Claritas, Venezuela. Sir, that region is heavily forested and any safe landing there would be nearly impossible. We can only assume that they were forced to crash land in the jungle."

"Jesus Christ. Do we have any idea if there are survivors? Can we get the Venezuelans to search the area, or offer any assistance?" the President inquired, clearly taken aback by the events.

"Sir, we have reached out to the Venezuelan President's staff, Foreign Affairs Minister's office and even been in touch with the Venezuelan ambassador. Given our strained relationship, they do not seem to be in any hurry to offer aid or make any acknowledgement that the event even happened, Sir," his aide offered with no small degree of apprehension.

"Dammit. Get Cavanagh on the line, now. I wanna talk to him five minutes ago! Go!", he shouted. As his aide rushed from the room, the President sat back in his chair, letting out a long sigh, running is hands through his hair. About two minutes later the intercom on the phone came to life.

"Sir, I have Director Cavanagh on line one," the voice of his assistant chirped.

"Thank you." Clearing his throat and taking a breath to center himself he answered, "Cavanagh! I need details on this situation with Whitacre. What can you tell me?"

"Mr. President, we do not have much in the way of details at this time. We did however receive some distress calls after the landing, so there were at least some survivors, Sir. Our people and those in the State Department have tried to make contact with the Venezuelan government but they seem rather uncooperative at this time," Cavanagh replied, frustration clear in his voice.

"Jim, I don't want this to turn into an international issue, but do you have anyone in the area that can get eyes in there and extract any survivors? Ben was the best man at Maggie and I's wedding for God sake. I need you to find them and bring them home….quietly. Understood?" he asked with finality.

"Understood Mr. President. I will put my very best on it. We will bring them home, one way or another," Cavanagh declared.

"Thanks Jim. Give Mary our best, huh? Maggie'd love to have you two over for dinner soon. Keep me up-to-date Jim," the President requested before ending the call.

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"General, I have Director Cavanagh for you. It seems rather urgent," Beckman's assistant announced.

The older woman sighed as she prepared herself. These calls were never good. "Beckman" she declared as she picked up the line.

"General. Cavanagh here. I just got off the horn with POTUS. It seems Secretary of State Whitacre's plane went down in Venezuela. The locals aren't too keen on lending a hand. I need to pull out all the stops here. Between you and Graham, I need to get eyes in there and extract all survivors. We don't need some militant getting hold of them and making some political example on Youtube, for God sake. I need something, anything within the hour. This needs to be kept quiet. If word hits the press, there will definitely be sharks in the water. General?" Cavanagh paused allowing Beckman to respond.

"Sir, I will get my people on it. We'll see if our contacts can find any assets in the area that can get us any intel. I'll have a report within the hour Sir," she replied confidently.

"Excellent, I'll let you get to it Diane." Cavanagh hung up with not even a goodbye. Beckman pondered for a moment as she read over the encrypted email she received with the details they have on the situation so far. She initiated a secure video conference call and after a few moments a gruff voice responded.

"Casey Secure. Evening General. What can I do for you?" the man inquired sitting up at attention.

"Major, we have a situation. Secretary of State Whitacre was visiting Brazil earlier today and on his return trip, the plane took some sort a damage and went down in the jungles of southeast Venezuela. Looks like last location was 6 clicks east of Las Claritas, Venezuela. They did receive a distress call shortly after the landing but that is all we have. I don't think I need to remind you , Major, of the situation in Venezuela and how paramount it is that any survivors be retrieved ASAP. The DNI himself has asked us to make this top priority. He wants any intell we can get on the area, the crash ... anything. He wants this done quietly obviously. Might I also add that he is calling on Graham to do likewise," she informed him with a raised eyebrow. The large, chiseled man on the other side of the call only grunted as his brow furrowed. "Precisely. Do you have any contacts or assets in the area to leverage?"

After contemplating for a moment, the Major replied," General, I may know someone. We worked a few ops together in southeast Asia. I talked with him a few days ago. Said he was doing some training exercises in western Guyana. That's just a helo ride away. I can try to get him on the Sat-phone, see if he is still there."

"Who is this person Major? Do you trust him? Obviously, this is a highly sensitive situation," she questioned.

"General, his name is Sergeant Charles Bartowski USMC Force Reconnaissance, Deep Recon platoon. They're stationed out of Pendleton, but I called him for his birthday a few days ago and that's when he said he and his team were training in Guyana. General, he's as good a man as they come," Casey straightened even more if it were possible.

"Very well. If you trust him that is saying something. See if you can get hold of him. I'm sure DoD will authorize this little detour, but let's ask for forgiveness instead of permission on this one. I have my suspicions on the cause of this crash and would like to make sure we are the only cooks in the kitchen for right now. Understood, Major?"

"Yes Ma'am. I'll get on it immediately. Casey out," clicking the button to end the call. He quickly grabbed for his Sat-phone and called his friend. While he was waiting, he was on his computer working on getting some transport lined up.

"Miss my dulcet tones already, Big Guy?" the voice on the other end answered.

"Suck it Bartowski. You still in the trees down south?" he asked with urgency in his voice.

"Yeah. Yeah we're in Kaieteur National Park, roasting marshmallows. Why? What's up, Casey?" Bartowski asked with curiosity.

"You secure?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, Major. Secure." he replied, his concern mounting.

"At approximately 15:30, one of our birds went down in east Venezuela. That bird has some precious cargo. Whitacre was on that plane. Venezuelan government is offering little to no help, which worries me. That's the kind of person militants make home videos about. If any of them are still alive and they release some snuff film, shit is gonna hit the fan. You copy?" Casey grunted

"Yeah, Major. I copy. Is this quiet extraction or we going all 'Jackson Pollock' on the place?" he inquired.

"Sergeant, you are to get in, retrieve all survivors and extract them ASAP. Nobody can breathe a word that you were there. Whatever that looks like, I leave to your discretion. Ping me your coordinates and I will get a helo to your location. How are your guys sittin' for gear?" asked Casey as he was typing furiously at the keyboard.

"Not knowing what sort of company we may get, it wouldn't hurt to get some extra ammo. M4, M110A1 and another belt or so for the M240 should do it. Also, an additional med kit as I suspect whoever we find will be in rough shape. Say, you know how many friendlies we're looking at? Normal compliment I would guess, 12-15 including flight crew. Sound right?" Bartowski questioned the Major.

"Chuck, I don't have exact numbers, but that was my guess too. Given they crash landed in the sticks, I suspect that number to be lower. I just don't know how much lower. And Chuck, Whitacre and POTUS … they go way back, so this ain't just business." Casey left it at that. "I've got a NH90 out of Cheddi coming your way. Should be there in about 90 minutes. They'll drop you just east of the crash sight and you'll have to hoof it in. Don't want locals getting too nosy. The chopper will try to hang nearby for emergency pickup. If it's hot, throw smoke and they'll come in heavy. If shit goes really sideways, there is a piece a shit airstrip in Las Claritas. Swipe some winged bathtub outta there and get back over the border. Wish I was there with ya. All you guys watch your six, huh?" Casey went quiet.

"Roger. Thanks Casey. I'll text you a selfie with Whitacre. Bartowski out." Chuck hung up and informed his team of the details beyond what they could overhear of the conversation. They were all on-board, even if it wasn't an order, they would still be all in.

"Alright guys. By the time we get there, they will have been down for several hours. Given they crashed, that does not bode well for those seriously injured. Worse yet, local colectivos may have gotten to them first. That will make things infinitely worse for them. They could be ransomed off, executed on camera or worse... " he trailed off trying not to think of the fate worse than death any female crew may face. That caused an increased sense of urgency to boil in his stomach. "Let's check gear and grab some food before our ride gets here." Chuck took a seat under a tree, checked all his gear and pulled out an MRE. It was cold but cold stroganoff was better than the alternatives he could dig out of the rotting logs and under rocks nearby. It brought new meaning to the term 'grub'. He'd consider himself fortunate.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The NH90 picked the team up in a nearby clearing where the crew exchanged greetings. Without much pleasantry they made haste toward their drop sight about 100 clicks northwest. The team collected the gear they requested and stowed it in packs and pockets. The chopper crew knew very little about the details but were debriefed on what they needed to know of the situation. They knew it could be an active hostile zone and were ready for direct action if necessary. Chuck pulled out his cellphone and powered it on. There was no cell service out here in BF...V, but he took some pictures of the mountains and vast spans of forest. From up here it looked so beautiful, but he knew the secrets that lay beneath that emerald canopy. He and his team had been trudging through this unforgiving jungle and mountains for almost a week. They were dirty and a little tired but the prospect of ditching their little 'camping trip' to do some actual good had lifted their spirits and given them purpose. As he looked over his team he could see the focus on their faces as the drop sight neared.

"Sarg? You hear anything from Ellie?" the shorter, bearded man inquired as he pointed to the cellphone Chuck was holding.

"Nah. Haven't had any service in days, Morg. Just grabbed some pics as a momento," he replied waggling the phone. Corporal Morgan Grimes is his second for the team and serving as his marksman. Morgan is like a monkey. He could climb anything, hang precariously and still give a gnat a vasectomy at 500 yards. He was also one of Chuck's oldest friends. He and Chuck were like brothers from another mother. They had been friends since childhood, so when Chuck decided to join the Marines, Morgan was not about to be left behind, despite Chuck's protests. They had been through basic together and while separated for a couple of years with other duties and training, were brought back together in Recon. Next to Morgan was PFC Steven Cho, hailing from the 'great state of Alabama' (according to Cho). Who was he to argue with Cho, or Lynyrd Skynyrd for that matter? Cho was first generation Korean-American and the juxtaposition of his face and his southern drawl were both humorous and a little unsettling at first. He was a tough, stoic man but I suppose as a Korean kid growing up outside of Mobile you learned to grow a tough exterior. Cho was talking with PFC Tyrel "Sugar" Thomas and LCpl Jeremy Baldwin. Thomas was their heavy gunner, lugging around the M240 like it was only some sort of Nerf gun. He was a very large, black man from Cleveland. As tough and menacing as he looked, he was a kind and gentle giant of a man. Perhaps that is what garnered him the nickname "Sugar", though nobody knew for certain and were too afraid to ask. Baldwin was their point man out of Kearney, Nebraska. He was 'the' stereotype for a good ole Nebraska farm boy. The same height as Chuck, standing at six foot three, Baldwin had another forty pounds of bulk making him a formidable looking man in his own right. Much like Thomas, Baldwin was a kind, respectful man; always polite and courteous. When he was running point however, he seemed to switch that off, replacing it with a cool, controlled focus. Rounding out their team was their slack man, Private Jesus Ramirez from San Antonio. The self-professed Don Juan of the team (which was not saying much) was a cocky, arrogant kid when off the clock. When they were out in the suck and things got serious, he put a lid on his arrogance and was all business. His overt personality seemed like a coping mechanism or some means by which to hide the uncertainty or perhaps fear associated with this line of work. It also managed to get them in more than their fair share of bar fights. The team never really complained as it helped to let off some steam. Plus it was a safer alternative than Putt-Putt golf which they are now banned from in Oceanside, Ca.

"Sergeant, we're approaching the drop point, just on the east side of that ridge. That will mask our rotor noise from the valley to the west. Your target is 1.5 clicks north-northwest. We will find a safe nesting spot nearby to wait for your signal," the co-pilot relayed to Chuck.

"Copy Corporal. Thanks for the lift. We'll call for our Uber when we're ready for pickup," Chuck yelled over the rotor noise, tipping the rim of his boonie hat. Once the chopper was in place, the six-man team repelled down to the forest floor and released their lines. Using GPS coordinates, they made haste over the ridge and toward the crash site. Baldwin and Ramirez took point as they tried to find the easiest yet quietest path through the jungle. As they approached, the smell of smoke was still in the air and tendrils could be seen rising from the wreckage. Large pieces of the plane were lodged in the canopy but the main fuselage of the plane had made it to the forest floor, the descent likely slowed by the trees. Grimes got to a better vantage point but saw no movement through his high-power scope. They spread out and while the rest of the team searched the site and surrounding area. There was so much carnage that identifying the source of the crash was virtually impossible, at least with the limited time they had. There were signs of foot traffic and spots of blood outside the plane, so clearly someone had been here.

The inside of the plane was a mess but largely intact. Chuck could immediately see three bodies that looked like they had been tossed around like rag dolls. They were all men, wearing suits, with no signs that they had been strapped in during the crash, which could account for their current situation. Moving up the aisle, he spotted a fourth man on the ground between the seats. He had several red stains on his shirt and a hole above his right eyebrow, clearly not crash related. None of the dead men were Whitacre and by the ear pieces they must be his security detail. With added caution, he made his way to the cockpit where the door was ajar. Slowly pushing open the door with the muzzle of his rifle, he could see that the pilot and co-pilot had perished in the crash as large tree branches had invaded the cockpit, likely on their initial impact. That brought the total to six casualties so far. The last update he got from Casey via Sat-phone before their pickup was fourteen total with passengers and crew. He scoured the plane for any signs of briefcases or documents that could be considered classified in nature that should be reclaimed or destroyed. If there were any on-board they were not here now. Chuck however did notice a women's purse that had slid under one of the seats. That brought back that knot in his stomach. This is not the first time he has been involved in a female hostage situation. Typically the outcome was a fate worse than death. The last such incident, the abductors had fortunately ended that poor woman's suffering. He couldn't help but feel some guilt for not reaching them in time. Always playing the 'what if' game. Chuck still had nightmares about that from time to time. He pushed those thoughts down as he opened the purse and examined the contents. Inside was some makeup, odds and ends, keys and a wallet. He opened the wallet to look for identification. When he saw the photo his heart sank to the floor as he let out a gasp. The name, "Walker, Sarah L.", and though it had been nearly 6 years the picture staring back at him was the face he still saw when he went to sleep many nights. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

"Sarg, what is it?" Grimes inquired from behind, concern apparent in his voice over the look that had taken over their leader. Chuck choked down the lump in his throat and merely handed the wallet to Morgan without a word. "Holy Shit! Is that...are you fucking kidding me? Oh, SHIT, dude. She looks just the same!" Morgan shook his head in disbelief. "Look man, she's not here, so that's a good sign, right? " He knew the history there and could sense the heartache Chuck was going through. He grabbed Chuck's shoulder with a firm hand, shaking the man out of his thoughts. Chuck just nodded and re-focused himself. He grabbed the purse and wallet, along with any identification from the dead on the plane. It would allow them to notify next of kin and hopefully prevent their names from being used by the local colectivos to further their cause. They left the plane to meet up with the rest of the team.

"Sarg, we have two men down about fifty yards west. Definitely not natural causes. Looks like they were executed. Either they were causing trouble or they were just slowing them down. One of them looks like his leg was severely broken," reported Baldwin.

"That means that they have six hostages and at least one of them is female. Do we have a direction of travel?" Chuck questioned his men, a hard tone in his voice.

"Yes Sir. They are heading due west. With that many people in tow they are making one helluva path to follow. If we double time it, we should be able to catch up to them before nightfall, Sir," Baldwin concluded, standing at attention awaiting the order.

"Lead us out then soldier. You set the pace," Chuck commanded. Out of Chuck's view, Grimes walked up to Baldwin and whispered to him under the guise of securing his pack. Baldwin shot a look of shock toward his Sergeant and then back to Grimes. Grimes just nodded solemnly. With that Baldwin set out with Ramirez right behind him followed by the remainder of the team. With this new sense of urgency, Baldwin set a hard pace to close the distance on their targets. They had to reach them ASAP.

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A/N2: Reviews, comments and criticisms are always welcome as long as they are constructive. I appreciate honesty, so if you dislike something you can tell me. I have my big boy pants on. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:Welcome back, weary readers. Thanks for all the encouraging comments. Without further ado, Chapter 2.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

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Chapter 2

2 Days Prior - Dulles International Airport

The parade of staff made their way to the Gulfstream 550 on the tarmac. The plane was to carry the Secretary himself, his executive assistant, one of his deputy chief of staff, his senior media advisor, seven of the Secretary's security detail and herself. A similar plane left yesterday with the rest of Secretary Whitacre's entourage consisting of several state department officials, Pentagon liaisons, journalists, his logistics coordinator and yet more security detail. The first plane went ahead to prepare for his arrival in Brasília, Brazil where there would be a trade summit of sorts, highlighting the "growing friendship" and "prosperous trade relations" between Brazil and the United States. Essentially just patting each other on the back for the media.

"As I live and breath. If it's not THE Sarah Walker," came a voice over her left shoulder. As she turned, she recognized the face of a man in a business suit. With the gun bulge and earpiece he was clearly security detail.

"Wagner? Rich Wagner? Wow. I haven't seen you since, what? Quantico? Not with the Bureau anymore I see," Sarah replied a bit surprised to see an old acquaintance and here of all places.

"Yeah. Old Army buddy of mine works this detail. Sounded like a good gig, so I checked it out and got a transfer a year and a half ago. Travel the world, don't have to sit behind a desk, three hots and a cot. I'm not bustin' bad guys anymore and I'm practically 'invisible', but I still get to see some pretty amazing things. History being made everywhere we go, you know?" Rich confessed with a shrug. "Say. What about you? I uh...I heard about the...ya know," he stammered a bit, not sure how to address the subject.

"Tallahassee? Yeah. Fun times," she stated with an un-amused look on her face.

"No. Yeah. Right...right. Anyway, what uh...what are you up to now? I saw your name on the travel manifest and was shocked as hell." The man tried to change the subject in a hurry as it was clearly a sore subject.

"Well, during rehab, I transferred to Linguistics to be an analyst for a while. I realized there I was done with field work and partners and wanted a change, so I got out and got in at the State Department in the Office of Language Services. Our office provides interpreting and translation services for most of Washington; POTUS, VP, Cabinet...Secretary of State, obviously. So here I am." She shrugged matter-of-factly.

"Well, you look great, as always. Good to have you aboard. Speaking of, you'd better get in there and grab a seat. Whitacre is on his way so we're gonna be wheels up in a few," he declared pointing to his earpiece.

"Thanks Rich. Good to see ya." She waved goodbye and made her way up the stairs into the plane, taking a seat.

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Present

Chuck's team was making quick progress. Baldwin had been right, the number of hostages plus the number of abductors made a well worn path through the jungle that a child could follow. They would stop periodically to assess the situation and look for signs of people ahead. They continued to run until the jungle opened up to a very rough hewn dirt road, likely used for logging or mining in the area. The road ran southeast to northwest with twists and bends preventing anyone from seeing long distances.

"Looks like 2 … maybe 3 vehicles recently. Some of the tread marks look really shallow. Could even be mismatched tires throwing off the number of vehicles," Ramirez stated as he examined the tire tracks.

"If the tires are that worn, they are likely not military vehicles. That means colectivos, which is what I was afraid of," Chuck shook his head as he started looking up and down the road. He started walking toward the northwest with a hunch. He walked for about 50 yards until he came upon a small white strip of fabric. It was bright white, so had clearly not been here long. Chuck picked up the fabric and examined it. It was a tight woven cloth, like a silk maybe, and very soft. He had to laugh at himself internally at how ridiculous it looked, but he let out a long breath, then placing the fabric to his nose and inhaling deeply to catch any scent from the fabric. Then it struck him like a hammer. He could clearly smell lavender and maybe a hint of vanilla. He knew these smells all to well. They had haunted him like a ghost for years now. Whenever he caught a hint of these scents it would make him turn and survey the area out of habit, searching, hoping.

"Lavender and vanilla..." he exhaled. "Lavender and vanilla!" he exclaimed. The team gathered around to see what the hell the Sergeant was going on about.

"Yeah, lavender probably grows all over this place," replied Ramirez .

"No! Lavender is an old world plant. It is not native to South America... Damn she's brilliant." He started jogging up the trail further northwest and found another small strip of white fabric. It was her, he just knew it. She was leaving them a trail. How she knew someone would be coming he had no idea. Perhaps it was just out of desperation, but dammit she was alive. She had to be...he needed her to be. "We got our heading boys. Let's move it out." Chuck found it difficult to not take the lead position, his adrenaline wanting to propel faster. His rational brain was able to take control and allow his team to do their job.

They had run for a total of close to 4 clicks, more than half of which was on this road. There were no other signs of vehicles or civilization save for the tracks they were following. As they ran, Chucks mind drifted to his past. Specifically the woman he was running toward.

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6 years ago

"Come on Chuck. We have a whole week of leave and I want to make the most of it, starting with this place. This place is gonna be great man, I'm telling you. We can just cut loose, have a good time. Maybe find some UCI coeds or somethin'..." Morgan pleaded.

"Alright. Aright. I give. Let's go in and check it out. Just…..please be on your best behavior. I don't want to spend my leave getting my ass chewed out 'cause our C.O. had to bail us out….again." Chuck gave him an accusatory glare.

"Of course dude. No worries. I'm gonna be totally chill tonight. You'll see." Morgan reassured him. Chuck was skeptical but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. The bright green sign, shining as a beacon above the building: "Durty Nelly's". Let's hope the name does not belie the quality of the place, though it seemed like a nice place, in a nice area of town. As they entered the bar, Chuck immediately took stock of his surroundings. On leave or not, he couldn't ignore his training. He sized up everyone in the place, looking for the telltale signs of troublemakers, loudmouths and other breed of folk to stay clear of. He didn't need repeats of their escapades in Ocean City. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, the music was good and not so loud you couldn't talk with the people next to you. Chuck found two seats at the bar so that his back was not to the door; new habits becoming old.

"Evening guys. Can I start you off with something to drink?" the bartender inquired as she put two coasters on the bar.

Chuck eyed her name tag, "Evening Angela. I'm gonna start with a Smithwick's, tall. And can I ask, if you were ordering an appetizer for yourself, what would it be?" Chuck asked.

A bit taken aback at the question, "Um..well the Steak Nachos are pretty good and so are the onion rings. They're fresh, not frozen," she replied.

"Great. We'll take both of those. Morg?" he looked to his friend for his order and could see that Morgan was fixated on Angela. Chuck gave him a little elbow to jar him from his daydream.

"GUINNESS! Uh...um.. Guinness, please. A tall one," Morgan nearly yelled as he came to his senses. Angela seemed to catch Morgan's obvious infatuation and gave him a wry smile.

"Comin' right up boys," she winked toward Morgan and turned to place their order.

"Dude! Dude, did you see that? Oh my God, she winked at me. This night really is gonna be awesome!" Morgan exclaimed.

"Yep. Looks like you found your Dulcineia, buddy." Chuck smirked as he looked around the room. He scanned from table to table when one caught his eye. There were three women sitting at a booth and appeared to be about his age. One had Auburn hair, fair skin and green eyes while the one beside her was brunette with dark eyes and almost olive skin. They were both very beautiful and seemed to be laughing and having a good time with the third women across the booth from them. She had long, flowing blonde hair but was facing them so he couldn't see what she looked like. He examined their table to see what they were drinking. It looked like they were just drinking water at the moment, so he looked to Angela to see what she was making. She had handed them their beers while Chuck was surveying the room and was now on to making some mixed drinks. Chuck watched her make the next few drinks to see what the ingredients were so he could guess the drink. Angela worked as Morgan made small talk with her. She had made three drinks: a mojito, a sour apple martini and a cosmopolitan. He then watched the drink order travel through the restaurant to see where it went while still keeping an eye on Angela, to see what else she mightbe making. As luck would have it, the server ended up at the women's table and handed out the drinks. Chuck made a mental note of who was drinking what.

Their appetizers came and Angela had been right. The food was good and Morgan sure seemed to enjoy the company. When Angela came back by, he had an idea to help out his little buddy. Chuck slide the nachos toward the back side of the bar nodded his head, offering her some. He made a production of looking around as if making sure the coast was clear. Morgan caught on and encouraged her to share the nachos with them. She chuckled at the two and finally acquiesced, taking some nachos. As she walked back and forth along the bar taking and filling orders, she always made time to stop and grab a bite of nachos and chat up Morgan.

Chuck was musing with Morgan about how Angela seemed to be interested in him, when his "Spidey sense" started tingling. A group of about six college guys had showed up and were being a little loud and obnoxious. They were at the opposite end of the bar, but he could read them like a book. They were pointing out girls around the bar, conferring among themselves. One of the jockular pretty-boys was pointing at the table of the three women. Whatever he said to his friends got a good laugh out of them. That seemed to spur the man on further and he pulled a bill out of his wallet and slapped it on the bar in front of his friends. They mocked being impressed which just got Pretty-boy worked up even more. Chuck looked back to Morgan so as not to ignore his conversation but he was still keeping a watchful eye. A few moments later, he spotted Pretty-boy at the women's table, chatting them up. He seemed to be focusing most of his attention on the blonde. Chuck could see the other women at the table were not buying whatever he was selling and were waving goodbye to him and rolling their eyes.

"Angela? Can you get me a mojito, a green apple martini and a cosmo, please." Chuck flashed her a grin and raised an eyebrow. She eyed him with curiosity then you could see the light bulb moment as she glanced at the table of ladies across the bar. She gave him a knowing smile and got to work. She made quick work of the drinks and placed them in front of him.

"Good luck," she smirked and walked off to help another patron.

"Alright Morg. No matter what, stay here. OK? Watch my drink." Chuck commanded. Morgan may appear to be unaware of the world going on around him, but that was a mistake he was happy to let people make.

"Dude. There are only six of 'em. I'm not ditching these onion rings for only six," he smirked and fist pounded Chuck before gulping down his beer. Chuck did the same as he could use the liquid courage. Pretty-boy he could handle, it was the ladies he would need the courage for. He picked up the three drinks and headed across the bar toward the ladies' table. As he closed in, he could hear Pretty-boy trying to run lines on the blonde. They were not working and he just was not getting the hint. It was do or die time. He was way out of his comfort zone here but he repeated to himself 'Courage is not the absence of fear'. He was almost directly behind the blonde when her two friends looked to him, eyed the drinks and then looked back to him with raised eyebrows. The only thing he could think to reply to this unspoken dialogue was a wink. Chuck sidled up right over the shoulder of the blonde, ignoring Pretty-boy altogether, and placed a quick kiss on the side of her head.

"Sorry I'm late Babe. Long line at the bar," as he reached past her and placed the mojito in front of her. "I made sure she put in extra lime slices, just how you like. Annnd for you ladies, cosmo and green apple martini. Oh. I'm sorry. Who's uh...who's your friend?" Chuck inquired looking at Pretty-boy now, who was several inches shorter than himself. He had not looked at the blonde's face yet as he was rather afraid that he would catch a drink or a fist. Biting the bullet, he turned to look down at her after his question. If not for the loud music and dull roar of conversations, you would have easily heard his gasp. She was looking up at him with a quizzical, wry smile and his brain just froze. Her azure blue eyes bore into his soul and the small upturn at the corner of her mouth made his knees weak. He fought desperately to gain back his faculties as he still had a "mission" to complete. He managed a slightly goofy grin and then turned back to Pretty-boy. Extending his hand toward the man and shook it quite firmly, "Hi. I'm Chuck. And you're...just leaving, right?" as Chuck pointed at him with his other hand. By this point, Pretty-boy probably had little to no feeling in his right hand, which prompted him to pull away.

"Uh..yeah. Right. I uh….I gotta get back," he thumbed over his shoulder as he backed away looking between Chuck and the women. Chuck merely gave him a mock pout and waggled his fingers at him in a goodbye wave. Chuck then turn and sat down in the booth next to the blonde goddess and proceeded to ramble.

"I am so...so sorry about that. I was just trying to get Pretty-boy over there to get the hint and leave you ladies alone," holding up his hands defensively as he faced toward the blonde. "I would never be so presumptuous otherwise. I figured it would be required to get him to believe that you would actually ...you know….be with a guy like ... uh me.." he trailed off. She was still just looking at him with a bewildered smile but then turned to look at her friends. They were looking between Chuck and his mystery woman, a little in shock and perhaps anticipation at what the hell was going to happen next. The blonde turned back to Chuck, her face now a full on smirk. She looked over Chuck's shoulder.

"Ooo. Shhh. Here he comes!" just then she grabbed Chuck by the chin and pulled him into a kiss. The kiss was soft but not entirely chaste. Chuck was frozen for a moment before he was able to react and return the kiss in kind, allowing her to 'set the agenda'. She eventually pulled away and paused for a moment licking her lips and looking into his eyes. Then she blinked and looked back over his shoulder. With a blatantly faux innocence, "Opps. My mistake. I guess that wasn't him after all," she shrugged and turned to take a drink of her fresh mojito. A few beats later her friends burst out into laughter causing the blonde to follow suit. Their playful mood set him at ease, and the kiss certainly hadn't hurt either. If he was going to be the butt of their jokes, he could go along with that. At least he would be in lovely company.

"Well played Miss. Well played," he confessed and bowed toward her in jest. "Well, I suppose I should leave you ladies to your evening," he said as he started to get up.

"Whoa. Whoa. Where are you goin'?" the three woman questioned, pulling him back down in the seat. "You can't leave now. Douchebag over there will come back and bother us. You're stuck with us now, uh..what was your name again?" The Auburn-haired woman asked.

In unison he and the blonde answered, "Chuck". Chuck and her friends all looked at the blonde quizzically. "What? He just said it like two minutes ago," she chided her friends for the look.

"Alright. If I am to be your protection detail for the night, what might I call you ladies?" He looked across at the brunette first. She extended her hand to him.

"Zondra," she said shaking his hand. "Red over here is Carina and blondie there is Sarah," she pointed toward the other ladies respectively. Chuck shook their hands .

"Lovely to meet you all. I need to go grab my drink and let my friend know that I have an 'assigned seat' now," he smirked as he pointed toward the bar. With that he stood and walked back to Morgan and sat back on his stool.

"Dude! That was undoubtedly THE coolest thing I have ever seen. The look on that ass-hat's face was PRICELESS! Oh my God. The platoon will erect a monument in your honor." Morgan just shook his head and patted Chuck on the shoulder.

"Thanks buddy. Um...so….they uh... they want me to sit at their table to help keep Pretty-boy over there at bay. I-"

"Buddy, say no more," Morgan put up his hand to stop Chuck. "Clearly, the fates made me choose this place tonight. They knew this would happen. Go! It is your destiny young, Master Bartowski," Morgan declared as he pointed toward the ladies' table.

"But what about you? I don't want to leave you here alone." Chuck was torn between the allure of the siren table and his loyalty to his best friend.

"Alone? Yeah. About that…" Morgan was rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin on his face. "Seems that Angela there gets off at nine o'clock and she wanted to take me to some clubs and ….well….who knows," he shrugged, failing miserably to hide the excitement on his face. "Are you mad?"

"Mad? Buddy. Look at her! I'd totally buy that for a dollar. The way I see it, you have an obligation to your brothers to allow them to live vicariously through you, soldier." Chuck gave him a salute in jest. "I'll call you in the morning, Buddy." Chuck patted Morgan on the back and ordered another beer from Angela before returning to the girl's table.

"Sorry about that ladies. What'd I miss?" Chuck inquired as he gracefully slid into the booth beside Sarah. The women had been laughing among themselves just as he arrived and then grew silent when he sat. They all looked at him when Carina and Zondra started snorting and attempting to stifle their laughter. Figuring he was somehow the source of their laughter dredged up old feelings from high school. Laughing with someone was different than laughing at them and this felt a lot like the latter. He just gave a half-hearted smile, nodded in acknowledgement and lowered his gaze to his beer, slowly rotating the glass in place. People didn't really make fun of him anymore. Not since bootcamp, but those old wounds were easily re-opened.

"Hey. What's the matter?" Sarah bumped his shoulder with her's.

"Huh? Oh..n-nothing. I'm good," he shrugged trying to play it off. Sarah just continued to stare at him and then raised an eyebrow indicating she was growing impatient. Chuck let out a small sigh, "It's nothing really. At a young age I grew accustomed to people laughing at me and being the butt of people's jokes. So it's all good," shrugged and waved it off. "Anyway...so what are you ladies up to this evening? Going off to paint the town red?" He was trying to change the subject to avoid the awkwardness.

"This was kind of our destination. In about three minutes tonight's event will start," replied Zondra. Chuck looked around to see if he could see any indicators of what that might be. Zondra continued, "You don't know? It's karaoke night!" she exclaimed.

"Oh. I see. So you ladies really into karaoke then?" Chuck inquired with a wry smile forming.

"With enough drinks in us we are," Carina interjected and they all chuckled.

"Well, in that case," Chuck waved over the waitress and order another round. The four of then chatted and drank as they listened and sometimes laughed at people singing karaoke. Eventually Zondra had enough social lubricant to jump in. She sang a rather impressive rendition of _You Oughta Know_ by Alanis Morrisette for which she got quite an applause. Carina soon followed with a stirring performance of Miley Cyrus' _Wrecking Ball_. She too got quite the reaction from the crowd.

"Alright Chuckie. Your turn. Get your cute ass up there and sing us something," Carina goaded.

"Uh...yeah. I...I dunno. I'm not really much of a singer," Chuck backpedaled. "What about Sarah over here? Sh-she hasn't gone yet," pointing toward Sarah.

"OK, Chuck. I'll make you a deal. If I go up and sing, then you have to. Deal?" Sarah questioned.

He thought about it for a moment, "Alright. Fine. If you sing something then I will do it too." He slumped in resignation.

"Alrighty then. Scoot out so I can go look at the list." Sarah pushed him out of the booth. She thumbed through the list and finally decided on one. While she was waiting, Pretty-boy made his way over and was chatting her up as he was looking through the list as well. Chuck could see Sarah rolling her eyes at him, so he at least could see she wasn't interested in that guy. Then again, Chuck couldn't tell if she was interested in him either. If the kiss had been real, then maybe, but he wasn't sure if it was real or just flirtation in an attempt to embarrass him. When Sarah got up to sing, the crowd cheered as the music started. Sarah sang _One Way or Another _by Blondie and during the song she made several obvious gestures toward their table, more specifically toward him, he hoped. She had a fabulous voice and a commanding stage presence. The entire song Chuck was riveted. She too got a huge applause from the bar when she finished. She bounded up to the table and Chuck stood up to allow her to take her seat.

"Alright, Chuck. A deal's a deal. Let's see it. Go show us what you got." Sarah egged him on soon followed by the other two women. Before he could protest they all frozen when they heard Pretty-boy start singing a rather horrible and awkwardly disturbing rendition of Marvin Gaye's _Let's Get it On_. From some of the slurring and squinting at the monitor he seemed to have had a fair amount to drink. It wasn't certain if that was a hindrance or a benefit. Chuck looked to the women at the table and then back to the travisty unfolding on the stage, a shiver running down his spine. Chuck got up and walked to the DJ area to look over the song list. He figured he couldn't be worse than that. Looking through the lists, there were a number of songs that he thought he could do well, but one caught his eye that he thought would work. He gave it to the DJ and had him queue it up. He waited for Pretty-boy to finish butchering the song. When he finished he actually dropped the mic and walked off. There was only about 3 people in the whole place that clapped, everyone else just sat, mortified. Chuck quickly picked up the mic to seize the opportunity.

"Let's hear it for Sexual Chocolate, everybody. Sexual Chocolate," as he slow clapped. There were a few laughs at that, but the hysterical cackles coming from his table let him know that at least they got the reference. He cleared his throat and waited for the song to start. Scanning the crowd he directed his gaze to the captivating blonde sitting at his table. For much of the song he held her gaze as he already knew the words.

_L is for the way you look at me_

_O is for the only one I see_

_V is very, very extraordinary_

_E is even more than anyone that you adore can_

_Love is all that I can give to you_

_Love is more than just a game for two_

_Two in love can make it_

_Take my heart and please don't break it_

_Love was made for me and you_

_L is for the way you look at me_

_O is for the only one I see_

_V is very, very extraordinary_

_E is even more than anyone that you adore can_

_Love is all that I can give to you_

_Love is more than just a game for two_

_Two in love can make it_

_Take my heart and please don't break it_

_Love was made for me and you_

_For me and you_

Chuck finished with a flourish and the bar erupted in applause. He took a bow, feeling a bit embarrassed at the reaction and then headed back to his table. When he got there, he was attacked by Zondra and Carina who were jumping up and down and hugging him. The last round of drinks likely had something to do with it, but he wasn't going to complain. He just sat down at his booth gave a wry smile to Sarah and took a drink of his beer. She had not said a word, she was only sitting there stirring her drink with her straw, biting her lower lip. After an awkward moment of silence she finally spoke.

"You think you're so funny don't you?" She chided. "Mr. 'Oh no...I dunno. I'm not much of a singer'," she mockingly imitated, providing air quotes. A smirk finally drew across her face as she shook her head, "You are so full of shit. You're gonna get it mister for pulling that crap," she jokingly admonished him, then shoulder bumping him.

"Hey. Let's blow this place. I wanna dance. Come on. Let's go!" Carina commanded. As she grabbed her purse and phone, pushing Zondra out of the booth. The other two woman agreed and collected their belongings. Chuck got up and got out of the way.

"Well. It was uh...really … really great to meet you ladies. You be safe OK?" Chuck pleaded, his eyes belying the underlying sadness.

"Where the hell you think your goin', Chuckles?" Carina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I...I dunno. I guess back to my hotel-"

"The hell you are!" Sarah declared. "You're not leaving me alone with these two," pointing her thumb over her shoulder at Carina and Zondra. "Come on," Sarah demanded and she wrapped her arm around Chuck's and guided him out of the bar. They walked along the sidewalk and around the corner of the building where the girls had parked. As they rounded the corner, they nearly plowed into a group of people that were gathered on the sidewalk. They were about to make their way around crowd when one of them spoke up.

"Hey Brett. Isn't that the guy?" pointing at Chuck. "It is! That's the dude that made a complete fool outta you and leaving with the girls to boot," the man goaded and laughed. Chuck took in the situation, noticing that there were now eight people instead of six. He looked for any signs of weapons or aggressive movements. The only thing that was clearly evident was that they were all drunk to some degree. Mob mentality was bad enough, but with alcohol involved, it made for too much … stupid. Chuck gently pushed Sarah and the other girls behind him just to be safe. Then his concerns came to fruition. Another of guys yelled from the back, "Beat his ass!" and was echoed by a few others with similar words of encouragement. Sarah, Carina and Zondra were pulling on Chuck to get him to back away, pleading with him to go.

Cocking his head to one side and talking over his shoulder without taking his eyes off the group in front of him., "Ladies! I got this. Please, just back up." The deep, commanding tone of his voice was far different than they had heard from him yet tonight. The sweet, almost goofy Chuck was now replaced with stone-faced, serious Chuck. Chuck stepped toward the group to intercept them and make some distance between he and the women. "Look gentleman. This is a bad idea. How about I call you guys some cabs and we call it a night?" he asked in a calm, flat tone.

"Fuck you!" was the only reply as Pretty-boy, now Brett, charged him and swung. The man was telegraphing his punch so much it was not even a contest. Chuck easily blocked with his left arm as his right leg moved past Brett's. Then with a quick upward thrust of Chuck's right hand and a sweep of the leg, Brett instantly became horizontal with a sickening thud. It happened so fast that it looked like a before and after picture, the frames in between removed. Seeing the punch of the next attacker, Chuck grabbed their arm and used their momentum to spin them and hip toss them onto the hood of a car, followed by a hard right forearm to the man's face. The next contestant got a hard straight kick to the left leg, forcing their body to pivot away from Chuck. The clothesline that followed nearly completely flipped the man, causing him to land on his forehead. Without having to turn around, Chuck took one step back and a high kick connected with the chin of a large man attacking from behind. As the big man staggered, Chuck spun and connected a left elbow and then a hard right hook to the man's face, sending him to the ground in a heap. Chuck squared off with the rest of the guys who were backing away with their hands up, clearly wanting no part of the ass whooping that had just ensued.

Smoothing down the front of his shirt, he turned to the ladies and his smile returned. They stood there, mouths agape in utter shock at what had just transpired in a matter of seconds. He offered his arm to Sarah again who was still just standing there. Waving his hand in front of her face she snapped out of her shock and cautiously took his arm. He motioned with his hand for her to lead the way past the men moaning on the ground, the sea of survivors parting to let them pass. When they all got into the car, Sarah just sat for a second and then turned abruptly to Chuck.

"What the hell just happened? Wh-Who are you?" Sarah asked with a bewildered look on her face.

"I'm really, really sorry about that. I tried to give them a chance to walk away," he confessed with a remorseful look on his face.

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm not questioning what you did. They deserved that and probably more. I'm more curious as to "How". Who are you exactly? Should we be concerned?" she inquired with a wry smile.

Chuck sighed. "I try to keep my work and private life separate but... I'm Corporal Chuck Bartowski, USMC," he replied with a sheepish grin and a shrug.

"You're a Marine?!" she asked incredulously. "You are definitely not what I expected from a Marine. And all of ….that," pointing toward the scene they just left," that was all just from Marine training?"

"Well, sort of...I've had some more advanced training than most... And what about ME makes it so hard to believe I'm a Marine?" he asked slightly affronted.

"I'm sorry. You just seem so...I dunno...sweet, kind and funny. You just did karaoke with us and are now going dancing. I guess that is not what I expected from a Marine. I suppose that is an unfair stereotype," she ducked her head a little embarrassed.

Chuck reached across and placed a hand on her arm, "Hey. It's OK. I ...I get it. I'll admit that I am a little atypical for the Marine stereotype. Just remember that's just a stereotype, OK? How about we just forget about it and let's go dance, huh?" he inquired with a small smile. They stared at each other for another moment.

"Anne," Carina chimed in from the back seat.

Everyone took a double-take, confused by her statement. "What?" Sarah asked.

"Anne. My middle name is Anne. You know, in case you two are looking for baby names. Just sayin." She then leaned back in her seat with a wicked smile on her face. Zondra broke out in laughter and Chuck and Sarah just glanced at each other and shook their heads trying to hide their smiles. With that Sarah drove them to a dance club not far from there.

Chuck never realized how easy it was to get into a club when you had three very attractive women with you. "I guess three Esmeraldas more than make up for the one Quasimodo," Chuck mused. A smack across his chest from Sarah yielded a yelp, "Owww".

"You stop that. You're much more like Phoebus." she retorted as she pushed past him into the club. Chuck was speechless for a moment. Not only had she gotten the reference but she had equated him to the love interest in the story. How was he supposed to take that?

"Come on Chuckles. Keep up. There are plenty of women in here that could devour you," Carina warned.

"You mean aside from the present company?" Chuck quipped.

"Ooo. Touche, Charles. Touche," she smirked and gave him a hip bump. They all made their way to the dance floor and danced for quite a while. Chuck was not a great dancer, but the way he was feeling tonight he just didn't care. There was a sense of anonymity given that he was not from around here and would be leaving in a week. So he tried to leave his inhibitions at the door and just live it up. When the slower songs played, he would dance a little closer to Sarah. As the night wore on, they were just short of grinding during slower songs, her back pressed into his chest and his hands just above her hips. The smell of her was amazing. A heavenly intoxication came over him from the lavender and vanilla scents she was wearing. He caught himself taking in the smell of her hair and his lower lip accidentally grazed over her ear. Her reaction was immediate, pushing her back into him harder and her head craning back against his shoulder, giving him easier access to her ear and neck. Unwilling to control himself, he decided to test the waters, exhaling on her neck as he ghosted his lower lip from the base of her neck up to her ear. It was too loud for him to hear anything, but there was no mistaking the shiver that ran through her body and her hands placing a death grip on his thighs. The fact that he could have this kind of effect on a goddess like Sarah was mind blowing. Feeding his new found addiction, this time he places a soft, wet kiss where her neck and shoulder met. With that he could actually feel her gasp and tense. She spun around to face him and proceeded to attack his face.

Taking a quick break for air, she looked at him through her lashes, "Do you have any idea what you are doing to me right now?" she breathed out with a hint of exasperation.

"I think I have an idea and believe me the feeling is more than mutual," he managed to get out while catching his breath.

"What uh...whadda ya say we get outta here?" she asked.

"I think that's the best idea I've heard all night," he replied with a grin creeping across his face. Sarah grabbed his hand and drug him to where Zondra and Carina were sitting at a high top table, having a drink. Sarah leaned in close to Zondra and Carina and was speaking to them but Chuck couldn't make it out over the music. He did catch Zondra and Carina look up to Chuck with smirks on their faces and then looked back to Sarah. They both waved her off and then raised their glasses to Chuck. He waved in reply and was quickly pulled out of the club and back to her car. The trip was a bit harrowing as Sarah was definitely in a hurry. He took hold of her right hand and gave it a gentle squeeze hoping to calm her a bit. She looked over at him and then at their hands then back up to meet his gaze. He looked to the dashboard and she then understood his meaning and with a wry smile eased off the gas a little.

"Sorry. I have a bit of a lead foot," she confessed with a sheepish grin.

"A bit? Really? I hadn't noticed," he replied with more than a hint of sarcasm. She released his hand long enough to slap his leg and then grabbed his hand again. "If you prefer, I'm staying at the Balboa Bay Resort. It's not far from here. It's just down- " his sentence was cut short as she took the turn he was about to point out at a rather high rate of speed. He could clearly see that she was an experienced driver, the way she handled the car, so he just sat back and tried to enjoy the ride instead of watching his life flash before his eyes. She parked in the lot of his hotel and they made their way inside. Through the lobby they reached the elevators and he punched the button for the 3rd floor. As soon as the doors closed, she wheeled on him and started attacking his face with a passionate kiss. She pushed his back into the side of the elevator and did her best to eliminate any distance between them. The ding of the elevator signaled they had reached their desired floor. Chuck peeled himself off of her and pulled her down the hall, trying to catch his breath. When they reached his door, the keycard was out in a flash and the door unlocked. They burst into the room and immediately resumed their passionate kiss as Chuck kicked the door closed. They stood there kissing, hands wandering when Chuck started to pull away

"Hold on….just...OK...one...one sec, please," Chuck pleaded as she was kissing up his neck. Sarah stopped and slowly looked up at him with apprehension on her face. "Look, I...I don't normally do things like this and….and I know that probably sounds like a line, but please believe me, it's not. I...I really like you and I...I don't want you to see this as a mistake tomorrow." Chuck gazed into her eyes, a look of near desperation across his face. "I...I want this… I want YOU so much, I … I just don't want to be one of your life's regrets is all." Sarah could hear the sincerity in his plea and read it in his face and body language. If it were at all possible, she thought this made her want him even more. She looked deep into his eyes and placed her hands on either check.

"Chuck. The only regret I have right now, is that there are entirely too many layers of fabric between us. Help me fix that," she implored and kissed him again, starting to undo the buttons on his shirt. Satisfied with her response he made haste and helped her out of her clothes. Lifting her off the ground, she let out a squeal in surprise. He walked her to his bed and laid her down gently. He proceeded to take great pleasure in exploring every inch of her body. Needless to say, the pleasure was not his alone. The sounds she made and the way she called his name only served to fuel his desires to pleasure her further. After multiple trips over the edge and beyond, she was all too happy to show her appreciation in return. When they finally consummated their night of passion, the rapture threatened to undo them both. As the night turned to early morning, the lovers collapsed in contented exhaustion. Chuck, spooned behind her, pulled her in closer and enveloped her in his embrace. Completely spent, they drifted off to sleep.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Present

Chuck was pulled from his thoughts as they approached an intersection. Baldwin and Ramirez scouted the road that branched off to the west while the rest kept watch at the intersection. A short while later they came back to report.

"Sarg, it looks like a hacienda. There's a decent sized house with a large barn and a few outbuildings. Without getting too close, we could make out about a dozen guards patrolling the property, mostly near the house. We could see one old pickup and a larger truck with an open bed. There could be more vehicles in the barn or one of the buildings. No signs of hostages, but I think we should check this place out," reported Ramirez.

"Dusk is approaching, so we should get in position to recon the place, find our points of entry, their weaknesses, etc." Chuck replied. "Cho, let's get comms linked since we're going to have to spread out. Everyone check your NVGs. We do this all quiet until we can't, understood?" The team gave their affirmatives and everyone did a mic check and verified that NVGs were operational and battery life good. With that, they did a final weapons check and made their way to the hacienda.

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A/N2: Thanks for reading. Reviews and PMs are always welcome. Hope to see you all in Chapter 3

JW


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'd like to thank everyone for the comments so far. They have been very encouraging. I am writing this story in large part because this is the type of story I have wanted to read for a while now. I took on this challenge with very little knowledge of the subject matter and I'm afraid it will show. I'd like to thank you for your patience and understanding. I hope that everyone can enjoy this as a work of fiction that is at least, in large part, grounded in reality. I am happy to get all of your comments and especially those that can help me improve the experience for the readers.

Disclaimer : I don't own Chuck. This chapter contains no flashbacks, but was prepared in a facility where flashbacks are present. Reader discretion is advised.

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Chapter 3

Once they were close enough to the hacienda, Grimes surveyed the area from a tree using his scope. He switched to thermal imaging to get a better idea of hostile counts and possible friendlies.

"This is Gamma. I confirm 17 tangos outside. Large heat signature coming from the barn and house.

Other structures are cold. Unable to identify any friendlies," Grimes reported.

"Roger, Gamma. You happy with your position?" Chuck inquired.

"Affirmative." Morgan stated.

"OK. Bravo and Romeo, recon the barn and secure. Charlie, secure the large shed and hold position. Sierra, take position in the trees south of the house and hold. Gamma I need your eyes on me. Roger?" Chuck paused for their response.

"Roger, Alpha," the team responded. Thomas setup position in the treeline at the south of the house. Chuck held his position and screwed his silencer to his pistol and secured it. He double checked his throwing knives in his vest and boot, along with the large tactical Bowie knife, folding knives and Kabar he carried. You lose a knife on a mission and you learn to pack extras. It was almost dark, so they now had the advantage. Replacing his boonie hat for a balaclava, he made his way toward the house, flanking the front so as to avoid the congregation on the front porch.

"Team, report.", Chuck commanded.

"Charlie secure. Looks like a storage shed. Chemicals, tools and the like." Cho replied

"Perfect. I need you to make me a nice long burning campfire in there, then get to the trucks and secure them and hold position." Chuck instructed, to which Charlie affirmed.

"Bravo and Romeo at the barn. We have 2 male friendlies. Repeat, 2 friendlies in the barn. Not primary objective. Two tangos down, 5 more in the barn. Heat signature is also livestock. Over." Baldwin reported.

Chuck informed his team "Hold your positions. Alpha going silent." Chuck worked his way to the perimeter guards around the back side of the house. He could not approach the house and leave them at his six to box him in later. He stalked each of the three and with deadly accuracy, his Kabar found its way home between the third and fourth ribs. With their silent passing, he laid each of them down gently, as if laying a child to sleep. He had no great love for the killing but it is an unfortunate necessity. When that necessity arises he tried to be as humane as possible and make it quick and painless, though he had made some exceptions to that rule. Once the way was cleared, he made his approach to the back of the house, peering through any available windows. Looking into the kitchen he could see two men with guns talking and drinking beers. There was music playing in the house, which would definitely work in their favor. The next window was what looked like a dining area and there were 4 men playing cards at the table. Behind them he could see into the living room and saw at least one laying on a couch with his hat on his face. He could hear some yelling from inside but it was too faint to hear over the music.

"This is Alpha. I am at the rear of the house. I have 3 tangos down. Inside I have visual on 7 tangos and audio on at least one more. Give me sitreps." Chuck commanded.

"Charlie confirms campfire started and at the trucks. One tango down. Over." Cho reported.

"Sierra in position and holding. I have visual on 7 tangos on the front porch. Over." Thomas replied.

"Gamma reporting, I have 4 tangos patrolling north between the house and the barn, confirm 7 tangos on porch. Activity on second floor maybe 5 signatures. 3 or 4 signatures on first floor northernmost room, 2 signatures in center room and others to the rear, matching your count. No positive ID due to blinds. Over." Morgan replied. Chuck moved quietly to the back porch and to the door.

"Alright. On my mark, Bravo and Romeo, quietly take down tangos in the barn. Gamma, watch their six and start picking off tangos north of house. Charlie and Sierra hold and cover." Chuck waited for an indication that someone spotted the fire. After a few moments, he could hear someone at the front yell "Feugo!". After five seconds Chuck announced "Mark!" as he entered the back door quietly with silenced pistol drawn. This was a utility area adjacent to the kitchen. He could see into the kitchen where the two were still standing and then a closed door that lead to the dining area. Chuck immediately entered the doorway squeezing off two head shots before sweeping into the room to check for other doors. The only one was to the dining area. He could hear the music loudest coming from that room. He flung the door open and entered the room sweeping toward the outside wall. He squeezed off head shots to the two on the far side of the table first, then the two with their backs to him before they even looked up from their cards. He looked to the man on the couch in the next room, but he had not moved yet.

"Bravo and Romeo clear. 5 tangos down, 2 friendlies secure.

"Gamma report, 4 tangos down north of house. 3 tangos from porch moving to burning shed. Over."

Swapping magazines, Chuck crept toward the doorway to the living room to get a better view into the room. He could now see the front door and a stairwell going up. In the living room was another tango sleeping in a chair, a half empty bottle of Santa Teresa between his legs. The man on the couch coughed and started to stir. Chuck moved toward the opposite side of the doorway and placed a head shot into both men as he walked past. Now in a better position to see the other side of the room, there was a closed door that led to the north. Morgan had reported 3 or 4 signatures. Chuck could see a light on under the door and a shadow of a person moving back and forth periodically. He slowly tested the door knob and found it was unlocked. He pushed it just far enough to disengage the latch and then brought both hands back to his gun. Anticipating the worst, he channeled his duck hunt skills from his youth and took a deep breath before pushing the door open, gun at the ready. There were two men standing with their backs to the door and two bound to chairs. The bound men were bloodied and beaten but still conscious, looking at the floor. Chuck did his best Jackson Pollock impression against the far wall as he ended both men standing in front of him. Chuck quickly grabbed the man closest to him by the shirt with his left hand and controlled his fall so as not to land directly on the hostage. The bound men shot their heads up as they saw their captors fall. Chuck placed a finger over his mouth to signify silence to which they nodded their understanding.

"This is Alpha. I have 10 tangos down, 2 friendlies secure on ground level. Heading to second floor.

Romeo, secure friendlies at barn. Charlie, move to north side of the house now and confirm when in position. Bravo, move to engage tangos at campfire. Gamma play lifeguard for Bravo. Sierra keep eyes open for stranglers and watch their six." He swapped his magazine out again to ensure he was at full before closing the door behind him and making toward the stairs. Peeking up the stairwell he saw nobody from the bottom landing.

"Charlie in position. Over."

"Charlie, clear front porch quietly, Gamma offer cover, all on my mark." Chuck quietly climbed the stairs keeping his feet to the outside edges where there was more support and less chance of creaking. When he reached the top, there was a door to either end of the house and a door in the center. The center door was a bathroom and was currently dark. Chuck checked the room to be sure and then listened to the door on the left. He could hear a man talking in a heavily accented English.

"Look into the camera and just read the damn words on the card or I kill you where you sit," spat a Latino man.

"This is Alpha. Mark." He quietly pushed open the door to see two men standing behind a video camera on a tripod next to a table lamp with no shade. One of the men was aiming a gun toward a man sitting in a chair. That man was Secretary of State James Whitacre, and he was holding a newspaper in front of him. Chuck let out a bird whistle which caused everyone to turn. Instinctively, the man with the gun spun toward Chuck but was too slow. A single shot to the head caused him to crumple like a rag doll. The last man was fumbling to pull his gun when Chuck ended his struggle. Similar to the men downstairs, he motioned for silence to the man in the chair. He too nodded and clearly sunk into the chair with relief.

"Charlie clear. Front porch secure."

"This is Alpha. Charlie move through front door and secure friendlies in the side room. Over." Chuck moved down the hall where he could hear talking. There was a man and a woman talking in Spanish. They were speaking too fast for Chuck to make out what they were saying, but there were a few choice words that he did understand. He could see light through the skeleton key hole in the door. This gave him pause and berated himself that he really should have thought of that with the other two rooms he breached. You idiot, Bartowski. He could see in the room a large man with his back to the door and a blonde woman sitting in a chair facing the far wall. Chuck holstered his pistol and pulled out his large tactical Bowie knife. While the two in the room were still exchanging un-pleasantries, Chuck slowly and quietly opened the door enough that he could move through. Just as he entered the man had grabbed the woman by her hair and pulled her head back forcefully, making her gasp and yelp through gritted teeth. Chuck could see her face now and was certain it was Sarah. Her eyes were squinted closed as she winced in pain, forced to face the ceiling as the man pulled her hair. The man spoke something in Spanish, bending down and licked her across the temple, causing Sarah to squirm and growl in protest. Chuck was instantly filled with a white hot fury. Exception filed. This man…..this man was going to suffer. The man began to speak again, but in mid sentence Chuck grabbed the man by his throat from behind with his left hand, nearly crushing his trachea. Clearly taken by surprise, the man attempted to grab Chuck's and when he was momentarily lifted off the floor as Chuck drove the nearly 12" blade of his sawback Bowie knife upward through the man's kidney. The man could not gasp or scream from the sudden, intense pain, but his grip on Sarah was released. Flashbacks of seeing the atrocities inflicted on female hostages was fuel for the raging fire within him, as Chuck began to slowly twist the blade. He had been too late before, but this time...this time the bastard would pay. The man began to make guttural, choking sounds, his face turning purple from Chuck's death grip on his throat coupled with the enormous piece of steel invading his kidney. The staccato exhale from Chuck, as his anger reached its pinnacle, was followed by Chuck quickly ripping the blade from the man's back. The man's body, in shock from the horrific pain and rapid blood loss, fell to the floor in a heap, barely able to take in shallow, choking breaths. Chuck took a couple of steps back and slid down the wall to a sitting position. He knew he should feel regret for such a violent act but, as he saw Sarah in that chair, so vulnerable, he simply could not bring himself to feel it. Vindication, relief perhaps, but no regret. He collected himself and sheathed his Bowie knife after wiping it clean on the dying man's shirt. Within moments, the man's struggle was over. Chuck stood and walked around in front of Sarah. He examined her briefly and could see that her eyes were clenched tight and her knuckles white as she gripped the arms of the chair she was strapped to. He removed his tactical gloves and then gingerly placed his left hand on top of her right. At first she flinched but then seemed to relax slightly. The mechanical click on Chuck's folding knife made her jerk slightly, her eyes still closed. Chuck gently cut her bounds on her hands and legs, returning his knife to his pocket. He took her left hand in his right and squeezed slightly as he was finally able to speak.

"Sarah…" he whispered. She took in a small gasp of air at the sound of her name. She slowly opened her eyes that were still in a squint. She raised her head slightly to take in the form in front of her. Dressed in MARPAT Woodland from head to toe, he hardly looked human. He could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. He could feel her starting to pull her hands away and recoil from him.

"Sarah," he spoke louder this time. She halted her retreat, but was still apprehensive.

"Wh...who are you? What do you want with me?" her voice was shaky, perhaps not certain if she had gone from frying pan to fire. Realizing what he must look like to her he immediately grabbed his balaclava stripping it away to take her hand once again.

"Sarah. It's me, Chuck. I'm here to take you home. You're safe now," he declared, squeezing her hands again. The look of sheer disbelief and shock across her face replaced the fear from before.

"Bu….but...No!...H-How? How are you….how are you here?" She slowly reached a hand out to touch his face as if to verify he was real. She touched his cheek and the spark of electricity that Chuck felt from her touch made him close his eyes for a moment. She exhaled "Chuck" and then the realization overtook her as she covered her mouth with both hands. Tears started to stream down her face as she jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on for dear life. She sobbed uncontrollably into his neck and all he could do was hug her and rub her back in an attempt to comfort her. After a couple minutes, she slowly pulled away from him, collecting herself. Chuck put his hands up, signalling to just wait a minute.

"Alpha clear. All tangos eliminated. Two friendlies on second floor secure. Give me a sitrep." Chuck commanded.

"Charlie with two friendlies in house, first floor secure. Over."

"Romeo with two friendlies in barn, secure. Over."

"Bravo secure. Three tangos down. Over."

"Sierra secure. No tangos visible. Over."

"Gamma secure. All tangos eliminated. Over."

"Nice job, gentleman. Converge on the house, bring friendlies. Sierra and Gamma hold positions at the front of the house. Watch the perimeter. Over." Chuck took both of Sarah's hands again

"Thanks for leaving the pieces of your blouse along the path. It sent us in the right direction. How many hostages did they take? Do you know how many kidnappers there are?" Chuck questioned.

"There were originally fourteen on the plane. They took eight of us out of the plane. There were three I assumed dead from the crash. One of the security detail, Rich Wagner, was arguing with the men, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. It was too chaotic. A few seconds later, there were three shots fired and only the men came out of the plane. Two others were too injured to really walk, so they shot them when they grew tired of trying to carry them. There were 10 men that marched the six of us through the jungle until we came to their trucks on a dirt road. Given who was on that plane, I knew that somebody would find the transponder, so I tried to leave a breadcrumb trail in hopes…in hopes someone would find us," a half smile drew across her face. "When we got here they ushered us through into the house right away but there were probably half a dozen more men that I could see outside and a couple were in the house already. That's all I know, sorry."

"No, that's great information. Way to keep your head in that situation. You did great. Are you...are you hurt?" Chuck asked a little unsure if he wanted to hear the answer. She just shook her head.

"I'm...I'm alright. Just a little banged up from the crash and still a little shaken from..." she trailed off as she gave wicked glare toward the man on the floor.

"Hey. I'm here. Alright? I'm not going to let anything happen to you. We believe we've taken care of all of the men who took you captive. Now, how about we go join all the others? OK? There's a restroom right down the hall if you need to use it. Come on." He helped her up and walked her down the hall. She took him up on the offer of the bathroom. While she was in there, he freed Secretary Whitacre and escorted him down to the others. He immediately went back upstairs to wait for her. He didn't want her to be alone. She finally exited the bathroom a few minutes later looking a little more refreshed and cleaned up, her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. He stood there in awe as a smile grew across his face.

"You never cease to amaze me. Even in the middle of all of this and all you've endured, you still look amazing. Like you could take on the world,," he confessed as he shook his head. "I'm sorry. That wasn't very professional of me," he said, straightening.

"Still the charmer, I see," she shot him a wry smile as she walked down the stairs to meet the others.

The survivors included Secretary Whitacre, his executive assistant, a deputy chief of staff, two members of the security detail and Sarah.

"We owe you our lives. Thank you, boys," the Secretary expounded, his Louisiana accent a little more pronounced than usual. "Who are you gentlemen?"

"Mr. Secretary, I'm Sergeant Chuck Bartowski and we are Marine Force Reconnaissance, Deep Recon Platoon, Alpha team, Sir." Chuck informed him. "If you'll excuse me one moment, Sir?" holding up a finger, he directed his attention to his men,"Cho, hail our Uber and give them our coordinates."

"Roger, Sarg," he replied and excused himself to an adjacent room to make the call. Baldwin and Ramirez were finishing performing basic first aid to those that needed it. Most were just bruised, battered and tired.

Chuck, Baldwin and Ramirez cleared the bodies from the living and dining area and moved them to the room off the living room. The recovered hostages could use the spaces to sit and not have to stare at dead bodies while they waited.

"Sarg, our Uber is about thirty minutes out," Cho spoke up.

"Roger. Cho, help secure the perimeter and check those other outbuildings just to be safe." Chuck ordered.

Chuck moved to the dining room table and began to reload his pistol, consolidating the partial magazines he had accumulated. As he was stowing his pistol and magazines, their comms came alive.

"Alpha, this is Gamma. We have vehicles inbound! Three maybe four. With the shitty roads, ETA could be 6-8 minutes tops, I'd guess."

"Sonofabitch," Chuck exclaimed. "There is no way they could have known we were here. Nobody here had a chance to make any calls," exasperation in his voice.

"I heard them talking about a Colonel of some sort and how he would be excited to learn about who they had captured. Maybe they called this guy before you got here," Sarah interjected.

"Wonderful. That means those are likely Venezuelan military. If we make a break for it in those trucks out there, we'll never out run them. We'll have to hold up here until our ride gets here," Chuck's brow furrowed.

"First thing, everyone grab a body off the front porch and drag it to the north side of the house. Then, Gamma, I need you go find a perch somewhere. Sierra, find a spot in the treeline to the south and stay low. Charlie and Romeo, move those trucks and make an aisle way to force a bottle neck when they come in compound. Bravo, get to the barn and take up position. And someone tell that Uber to hurry the fuck up!" Chuck ordered over the comms.

"You! Find some guns off these assholes and all the ammo you can scrounge." Chuck directed at the two security detail and motioning around the house. "Sarah, do you know how to use a gu-", his question cut short as he watched her pick up a pistol from one of the dead, check the action and ammo. "Of course you know how to use a gun. You're Sarah Freakin' Walker," he chuckled and shook his head. Chuck took his folding knife from his pocket and gave it to her. "Ok, listen. I need you to take Secretary Whitacre up to the bathroom and both of you lay down in that cast iron clawfoot tub. It's probably the most fortified spot this crappy old house has." Chuck got closer to her, "Please, Sarah. Do this for me. He is a very important asset to the government and you...well….you're important to me. I...I can't lose you again," he said somberly. She was taken aback, but she met his gaze and nodded.

"You watch your back out there, hear me?" she pleaded, her look of concern was clear. Chuck just nodded his head in agreement. Sarah then escorted Secretary Whitaker to the bathroom upstairs.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sarah hurried Whitacre into the bathroom, closed the door and made him get in the large tub and lay down. He tried to resist at first but the look on her face offered no room for debate.

"Miss Walker, I truly mean no offense by this, but do they instruct interpreters on the use of firearms?" Whitacre asked, climbing into the tub.

"No, Mr. Secretary. They do however train FBI Special Agents to be proficient with firearms," she replied with a flat look. He paused for a moment trying to read her expression. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, he just nodded his acceptance and laid down in the tub.

"So, Miss Walker, or is it Agent? No matter... What do you think our chances are of getting out of this alive?" he tried to remain cool and calm, but the shakiness in his voice belied his concern.

"Well, Sir, these Marines just took out, what I estimate, were about 30 men tonight. In doing so, I didn't hear a single shot fired. If I know Chu- Sergeant Bartowski, he'll move Heaven and Earth to get us out of here alive, Sir." Her confidence was evident in her voice.

"Sarah. May I call you Sarah? I take it you have some...history with the Sergeant." He immediately held up a hand in surrender, "Not prying, it's just very evident in the way you two look at each other," a small grin growing across his face. "You know, my wife is a Sara as well. After 30 years of marriage, I like to think I give her the same look that young man was giving you. Of course, that's certainly none of my affair." he gave a brief chuckle. "I certainly don't question these Marines sense of duty, but I suspect the 'moving Heaven and Earth' part may be more for your benefit," he mused.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chuck turned on the remaining members of the Secretary's security detail, "OK. You two, take whatever weapons and ammo you find and take these two civilians and make a break out the back and get to those trees. On our approach I think I noticed a ravine or a stream bank that may offer some cover. Stay there until we come get you. Copy?" Chuck commanded. Realizing it wasn't really a question, the four made their way out the back and ran for the treeline to the west. Chuck started scavenging items from the kitchen and utility room that might be used as improvised weapons if needed. He placed some rags, various bottles and packages on the dining room table to prepare.

"Bravo reporting, front porch is ready for guests. Taking up position in the barn.

"Romeo reporting, vehicle in place and moving to position at north side of the house."

"Charlie reporting. Truck in position. Taking position at southwest corner of the house."

"Sierra in position. Great view of the nice little path you guys made."

"Gamma in position, they are slowing on approach to the turn off. Looks like a jeep, two Humvees and a M35 cargo truck. Good news is I don't see any mounted weapons. Bad news, looks like about twenty-five or so tangos among them. Something tells me they didn't plan on trading for the hostages," Morgan mused.

Chuck snuck two bottles to the north most room and opened the side window. Getting Ramirez's attention, he handed them off. Chuck went back to the dining area. Chuck left all the lights on downstairs and turned the radio back on as it was. He then headed upstairs with the remainder of his gathered materials along with his own equipment. He saw the bathroom door closed and as he walked by he called out, "Company's here, stay in that tub and keep your head down." He went into the south most room and closed the door. He slid an old chest from the foot of the bed up to the window to act as a shooting platform. He prepared his M4 along with the plastic bottles he got from downstairs. He donned his balaclava to cover his white face and waited.

"Gamma, do these guys have NVG that you can tell?" Chuck asked over comms.

"That's a negative. Not that I can see. They seem to not give two shits about being quiet or sneaky with all those vehicles. They probably figured it would be a cake walk anyway," replied Morgan.

Chuck watched all of the vehicles come to a stop right in the alleyway that they had created. People slowly started to file out of the jeep, Humvees and out of the back of the M35. They are all carrying assault rifles, AK-103s from the looks of them. They started to walk toward the house with only the headlights of the vehicles lighting their path. There were few other light sources aside from the windows on the first floor of the house and the faint glow of the embers where the storage shed once stood.

"This is Alpha. On my mark, Romeo, toss your cocktails toward the truck parked to their north. When it's lit up, Bravo and Romeo open fire on their location to force them to take a defensive position facing north. Hit and run. Gamma, target the drivers, M35 first to box them in. Wait for my mark! I need to know their intentions before I start an international incident."

A man steps forward, just ahead of the others, surveying the area. Luckily for them a lot of sins are masked by the cover of darkness. Seeming to grow impatient he begins to shout. "Arturo? ... Arturo! ¿Dónde te escondes, pequeña perra? Tráeme mis prisioneros o los sacaré de tus manos frías y muertas. Te doy hasta la cuenta de cinco." The man paused for a long moment, as if waiting for a reply.

"Ummm. Romeo, did you catch that? All I got was some guy named 'Arturo', 'bitch' and 'five'." Chuck inquired.

"Uno!" the man shouted.

"Roger, Alpha. He said basically to bring out the prisoners or he's going to kill these guys and take them."

"Dos!" he continued.

"Alrighty, then. That's all I need. When he counts 'quatro' that's your mark. Copy?" All members reported their acknowledgement. Chuck immediately started playing with his ghetto chemistry set, pouring liquids together in small plastic bottles and a larger plastic jug.

"Tres!" the man bellowed, anger growing in his voice.

Chuck tightened the caps on his bottles, shaking them up and then waited for the hammer to fall with the next count.

"Quatro!" It was a good fifteen yards, but Chuck could swear he saw the veins on this guys head popping out. With that, two fiery explosions erupted in quick succession on the north side of one of their barricade trucks. This was followed by bursts of gunfire. Men began to fall as others rushed to the south side of the barricade truck ,as well as their own trucks, to seek cover and return fire. Chuck broke the top and bottom panes out of his window once the shit hit the fan. Chuck hurled the three small water bottles he had filled with liquid into the fray, scattering them throughout as best he could. Lastly, he launched a jug partly filled with liquid that landed and rolled under the lead car. He ducked down to collect his M4. Surveying the scene, it was playing out as he had hoped so far.

"Bravo and Romeo, disengage! Sierra and Charlie...light 'em up!", Chuck bellowed into his comm, watching the timer on his watch. Thomas, from his prone position at the treeline to the south, got a grin on his face like a kid on Christmas. With that, the throaty rat-tat-tat-tat of the M240 sung loud over the symphony of chaos below as Cho's M4 echoed in reply. Many of the tangos had completely exposed themselves to the south favoring to take cover from the initial fire they were taking from the north. Little did they know that a hungry man-eater was lurking in the jungle just waiting. The M240 began decimating their ranks, with men dropping right and left. Some were fortunate enough to seek cover on the north side of their caravan. As Sierra's first belt was nearly out, Chuck's backup plan kicked in. The first round of small bottles started to burst open, spewing small clouds of caustic smoke around the enemy combatants. Seconds later, a large fireball erupted from underneath their lead car, providing some shock and awe as the flames engulfed the front of the jeep. With the weak concentrations of chemicals available, the smoke was only designed as an irritant, which it soon served its purpose. The ranks that were left began to scatter. Chuck opened fire from his perch and was joined by the remainder of the team. When all movement seemed to cease, Chuck called to his team.

"Hold fire!" Chuck commanded. As his team's weapons fell silent, Chuck surveyed the landscape. The fires dwindled and the smoke had quickly dissipated, revealing the carnage that had befallen their would-be assailants. "Gamma, report." he requested.

"I have movement in and under the M35 and movement in the rear of the last Humvee," Morgan reported.

"Bravo and Romeo, secure the M35. Sierra and Charlie, secure the Humvee. Gamma provide Support. Copy?" All five team members in turn sent their acknowledgement which put his mind at ease as all were accounted for. He reloaded his M4 as he moved toward the bathroom. "Sarah, you two stay put. I'm heading down to secure the area. I'll be back to get you," Chuck declared.

"Roger," Sarah replied. Hearing her voice allowed him a small sigh of relief. He walked down the stairs and to the front door. He could see a fair number of bullet holes through the door and walls. Clearly some of the men outside had no idea where the shooting was coming from. He exited the house with his M4 shouldered and ready. He started checking bodies strewn around the area. A number of bursts were heard from the rear of the caravan. They were soon followed by the "clear" report from his team. Chuck bent down to check another body when a twig snap over his right shoulder caused him to drop to a knee and spin his rifle around.

"Whoa. Whoa. It's just us!" pleaded one of the security detail, holding his hands up in surrender. The other member of the security detail and the two civilians were in tow behind him.

"You fucking idiot. I told you to stay put!" Chuck scolded, lowering his weapon.

"Dude, we were getting eaten alive by bugs out there, man," the 'idiot' replied snidely.

"I should shoot you myself," Chuck grumbled as he turned to continue his task. He quickly turned back to the idiot and demanded, "At least get them in the house." It was at that moment that he turned back to see the man whom he was interrupted from examining lifted his AK-103, leveling it at the four behind him. As if not in control of his own body any longer, Chuck dove in between the gunman and the civilians behind him. Four shots rang out, piercing the night's silence. Chuck leveled his M4 and released a 3-shot burst in the enemy's neck and head. Then he noticed a buzzing feeling in his left leg and shoulder. This developed into a painful ache, assuming he must have landed on rocks. Chuck rolled to his back and looked up at the four people behind him. He was really pissed now. "That's why you stay where the fuck I tell you to stay. You could have gotten all of them and yourself shot, you idiot," he berated the man. Chuck started to sit up and felt a lot of pressure in his leg and shoulder, even more so when he tried to put pressure on his left arm to sit up. He could feel some wetness on his thigh which aggravated him since now that he seemingly fell in a puddle he was going to have to deal with wet pants on top of it. He felt his pants leg and came to the sinking realization that there was a hole in the thigh of his pants. Everything became clear now and on top of being understandably fearful, he was even more pissed. At himself, the now dead guy and the idiot who couldn't follow orders.

"Mother fucker!" Chuck shouted. It seemed to be the best expletive to express his anger right now. Immediately, through the comms he could hear "Man down!" For a split second he was fearful one of his men was hit too, then realized they were talking about him. Cho and Thomas dropped to his side to evaluate the damage. There was too much talking at once for Chuck to focus on hearing over the ringing in his ears and annoying ache and pressure in his leg and shoulder. His men started cutting his pant leg and removing his vest to examine the damage. They rolled Chuck to his right side to get a better look at things.

"Leg is through and through. Doesn't look like it hit bone and it's not bleeding like it hit the femoral or anything. Shoulder looks like it ricocheted off the chest plate and into your shoulder. No exit wound. Cho opened one of the med kits and grabbed the hemostatic powder and gauze. They rolled him to his right side and poured the powder into all three wounds. Chuck was hurling expletives of the four-letter variety as Cho and Thomas proceeded to cram gauze into his bullet wounds and then added pressure for a few minutes after. Cho applied a tourniquet to Chuck's thigh as an added precaution.

"That should hold until our ride gets here and we can get you to a hospital," Cho explained.

"What the hell was that shit? It hurts worse than getting shot." Chuck exclaimed. By this time Morgan had made it to Chuck's side and was trying his best not to freak out but was just babbling. "Grimes. Grimes… Morgan!" Chuck finally broke him out of his spiraling. "Go get Whitacre and Sarah out of the bathroom. Round everyone up. Our ride should be here soon," Chuck ordered, trying to speak in a calm even tone.

Despite his best efforts, Thomas refused to let Chuck sit up. Given Thomas' imposing size and Chuck's growing weariness with the adrenaline wearing off, he didn't have a lot of fight left in him. Chuck just laid there with his right hand behind his head, acting as a pillow of sorts, the ache starting to become more pronounced. Chuck could hear Morgan as they exited the house.

"Now...don't freak ou…" was all Morgan could manage to get out before a loud gasp was heard. All Sarah could see as she walked on the porch was the killing fields in the front yard and Chuck laying there among the dead. How her heart could sink yet be in her throat at the same time seemed a physiological impossibility. After so long, the fates had just brought him back to her, a second chance to do things differently. How cruel could fate be to now rip that chance away from her?

"No..." she breathed. "No,no,no." She panicked as she leapt from the porch and raced to his side. She was fighting the stinging behind her eyes as she slid to the ground beside him. She grabbed his arm and dared to look at his face, afraid of what she would see, or perhaps not see ever again. What she saw were the dark chocolate pools she remembered losing herself in so long ago, gazing up at her. She nearly broke at the realization that she had not lost him, not yet. She choked back a sob and feigned at humor to cover the terror she was feeling.

"I thought I told you to watch your back?" she chided him with tears in her eyes and a wry smile.

"Well, for what it's worth, I got shot in the front. So, there's that," Chuck mused with heavy eyelids. Sarah tried to chuckle but her sniffling gave her away. Chuck took her hand with his right and gave it a squeeze., "Hey. Hey...I'll be alright. Oh. That reminds me. Lookin' at my calendar, I might have some time off real soon. Whatcha say we grab a coffee? Then maybe some dinner, a little dancing…." Chuck mused.

"You nerd. You were just shot in the leg. You can't dance," she shook her head at him, trying not to let the smile creep across her face.

"Not with that attitude. Tell ya what. How about I let you lead then?" he winked and grinned at her. That elicited a smile from Sarah finally. Chuck's face turned a little more sober, "Will you promise me something, though? Promise me that we will talk before you...before you have to leave this time?"

The expression on Sarah's face became somber as she looked to the ground."Yeah. Sure. Sure Chuck. I think we need to talk."

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A/N2: So there we have it. Chapter 3. Done and Done.

I'd like to thank and WillieGarvin for beta reading this for me. WilleGarvin as been a great sounding board, helping to keep me out of the weeds on a lot of the technical details. The writing is all my own, so you can't blame him if I don't follow his advise.

Reviews and PMs are always welcome. Criticism is welcome too, as long as it is constructive. For all you guests, I encourage you to register with the site, that way I can respond to your reviews. It's pretty ease, plus you can get notifications when new chapters are posted.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: My apologies on taking so long to get Chapter 4 published. I'll try to be a little quicker on the turn around in the future. As always, I appreciate your feedback (good, bad or indifferent).

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.

* * *

_6 years prior_

Slowly coming into consciousness, a sense of contentment filled her as she sighed with a hum. Early morning sunlight was filtering into the room, offering a warm glow throughout. However, there was a distinct lack of a warmth she had recently grown accustomed. Then it all came flooding back. Oh God. What had she done? Her immediate and instinctual response was what a mistake this had all been. She was not 'that' person. She was not the impulsive, 'live life on the edge' kind of person. This was not part of her plan. How could she have gone home with a perfect stranger? Perfect? Well, if she were honest with herself, last night was 'perfect', so was he. From the moment he kissed her head when he brought her that drink until they finally fell into a lifeless heap on the bed, completely spent, sated. The mere recollection brought a smile to her face and a blush to her cheeks. No. There was no 'mistake' about it. Foolish and reckless perhaps, but she could not think of a single moment of last night that she would want to take back. If this were to only amount to a one night affair, she would certainly have a lot to remember it by. What are you thinking? Of course it has to be a one night stand, how could it not be? It was so cliche. The military man, off on leave to find himself a "good time" and then off he goes. It's what she expected would happen. It's what she wanted, wasn't it? She rolled onto her back, sprawling across the empty bed.

"God Walker! What were you thinking? This is so bad. So very, very bad," she said into her hands that were now covering her face.

"Well, I'm sorry about that. It has been a while for me. I hope you'll excuse me if I don't share those same sentiments though. I certainly have no complaints," came a low, smooth voice standing beside the bed. Mortification washed over her as the realization hit her that she was clearly not alone as she had thought. She slowly took her hands away from her face to see him standing there, holding a pastry box and a cup carrier with 4 to-go cups. While there was a small smile on his face, it appeared to be fading as he couldn't hold her gaze any longer. "I'll uh….I'll just set these over here for you," walking to the dresser and setting the items down. He stood for a moment facing the dresser, leaning on it with his knuckles. "I … I can't imagine how awkward this must be for you. I … I collected your things. They're folded on the chair, just over there," pointing to a neatly folded stack of clothing.

"What?" she asked in confusion, a knot forming in her stomach. Everything was a jumble in her head. What was he saying? She played back through the events of the past moment and what had been said. "No! No, no,no. I...I didn't mean it like that," she rushed out as she began to sit up. Realizing she was still naked, she pulled the sheets up to cover her. "Look, last night was …" she trailed off not knowing how to continue.

" Bad. So you said. No. I get it. You … you don't have to explain," Chuck replied somberly, trying to save her the awkwardness of having to come up with an excuse.

"Chuck... " she let out a sigh in resignation. "The word I was looking for was 'amazing'. Last night, with you, it was nothing short of amazing. Please believe that?" she pleaded. He slowly turned around and sat on the dresser facing her, waiting for her to continue. "I just….I just don't normally do this sort of thing is all. I know, you said the same thing last night, but I...I just couldn't help it. Well, I didn't want to help it. That voice inside my head that always tells me to focus and stay the course, that voice must have been passed out drunk."

"This is what I was talking about last night. I didn't want you to wake up this morning regretting our time together. It...it really meant a lot to me and for you to regret it…" he trailed off.

"Hey. When I said this was 'bad' it wasn't anything to do with you. There are a number of adjectives I could use to describe last night and believe me, 'bad' is not one of them," a mischievous smile grew across her face. "Chuck, I wouldn't take back anything that happened last night. It meant a lot to me too. I guess that's what's so bad about it. I had this vision, this plan for my life and the way it was supposed to play out. I didn't want any ... distractions. This wasn't in the plan….y-you weren't in the plan." She sighed running her fingers through her hair. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them, trying to think of what else to say. Chuck slowly crawled onto the bed beside her. Laying on his side facing her, raised up on one elbow he rested his head in his hand, looking at her.

"Look. I don't want to turn your life upside down or alter your life plans at all. So, here's the deal. I'm here for 6 more days. No pressure, but I'd really like to spend as much of that time with you as I can. No commitments, no promises and no strings. I just want to spend time with you. When I have to leave, that, as they say, can be that. You don't have to see me again. You don't have to write or call if you don't want to. We can just go our separate ways and you can follow your big dreams wherever it is they're taking you. Whadda ya say?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Sarah gazed into his eyes for a long moment. Can this guy be for real? She had so much fun with Chuck, even last night's nocturnal activities aside. He made her laugh and forget about all the pressure she put herself under. Maybe she could use a little more of that before she started off on the next phase of her life plan. "I say….what did you bring me for breakfast? I'm starving," with a wry smile on her face and a glimmer in her eye.

Chuck let out a chuckle as he reached up and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Well, I didn't know what you liked, but I made some educated guesses," he said sliding off the bed and heading for the dresser. Opening the box, "I have regular and chocolate croissants," placing the box next to her on the bed. "I wasn't certain what you liked to drink, besides mojitos, so I have an Americano, a Chai Latte, regular, black coffee and a green tea. If you don't like any of those, I can get you whatever you want." Chuck looked at her expectantly.

"You went to all this trouble, just for me?" she grinned.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? Besides it wasn't any trouble," Chuck replied matter-of-factly.

Sarah just shook her head in disbelief, "The Americano would be great, thank you." Chuck gingerly handed her the cup and took the black coffee for himself, setting it on the nightstand and sliding back onto the bed beside her. Sarah took a bite of a chocolate croissant and let out a low, sensuous moan as she closed her eyes, savoring the taste.

"Wow. I feel a little jealous, I have to say," he commented with a sheepish smile. Opening her eyes, she gave him a quizzical look, raising an eyebrow. "I was naively hoping only I could be fortunate enough to elicit that sort of reaction from you. I'm gonna have to step up my game," he said, his eyebrows dancing. She rolled her eyes and smacked him on the chest, a wry smile forming. He gave a chuckle and then moved in and kissed her. It was very soft and slow, as if they had all the time in the world. Gradually, the kiss began to intensify, growing in passion, Chuck running his fingers through her hair and cupping the back of her head. A noise on the nightstand drew Chuck's attention as he briefly pulled away. The box of croissants had mysterious moved from between them. He looked down at Sarah, a bit taken aback that she had been able to pull off that maneuver in the midst of their kissing.

"Breakfast can wait," Sarah commanded and she grabbed a fist full of Chuck's shirt and pulled him on top of her to continue where they left off.

It was getting close to 1:00PM when they found themselves snuggled on the bed, wrapped in towels. After some re-enactments of last night's activities, they decided to take a shower. That lasted a lot longer than anticipated but both of them were very clean; some areas more so than others. They collapsed on the bed and were just enjoying being close to one another, in comfortable silence. Chuck finally broke that silence.

"So what do you say we go grab some lunch and then maybe head to the beach for a while? As much sand as I see, I never have an opportunity to relax and enjoy it," Chuck added with a chuckle. Sarah just moved her head slightly to look up at him through her lashes as she kept herself firmly cemented to Chuck's tone chest. "Oh, God. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. You must have things to do today and here I am only thinking of myself. I can-" Sarah's fingers pressed against his lips to halt his rambling.

"I think that sounds nice. We can swing by my place to grab my suit and things. Pack a small cooler even." A grin was threatening to break his face as he looked down into her steely blue eyes. She craned her head up and gave him a quick kiss before rolling off the bed and sauntering over to her stack of folded clothing. She let the towel drop to the floor as she searched for her underwear. A grunt of admiration came from behind her, Chuck watching on in awe. She gave a smirk over her shoulder, "Alright, you. Get dressed so we can go, you big dork."

"I prefer 'nerd' thank you very much" he stated in mock offense. He got up and started getting dressed as well.

"Nerd? Really? A Marine nerd? How does that work? It's like a ..a platypus. Two seemingly unrelated things crammed together," she chuckled incredulously.

"First, I think we've already covered the bogus Marine stereotypes. Second, there is plenty that you don't know about me, Miss Sarah Walker. So you'd better save that judgement til all the facts are in," he chided her with a smirk.

She raised her hands in surrender, "Fair point." They collected their things and drove to Sarah's apartment. They approached her door and Chuck could sense Sara take what seemed to be a cleansing breath before entering. As they entered they were greeted with geers.

"Oooo. And here we have Sarah Walker wearing the latest from her 'Walk of Shame' collection," Zondra sneered.

"Oh , but Zondra, the stylish boy-toy accessory is so versatile. It looks just as fabulous in the light of day as it does in the club. Perhaps it's the afterglow finish they use?" Carina continued trying to stifle her giggle.

"You two are so hilarious," Sarah commented with a flat look on her face. "Leave him out of it please. He doesn't need to be subjected to your tasteless humor," she scolded.

"Oh, I'm perfectly comfortable with boy-toy, actually," Chuck leaned in and raised a finger to emphasize his point. After a brief moment of awkward silence, all three women broke into laughter, Sarah playfully swatted at Chuck, smacking him lightly on his stomach.

"You're right. You are a nerd. I'll be right back. You bitches, try not to break him while I'm gone," Sarah chuckled as she walked upstairs. Once she was safely up the stairs, the interrogation began.

"Soooo, Chuckie, how was your evening?" Carina asked with mock innocence and a smirk on her face. Chuck knew they would try to embarrass him and years ago they would have succeeded quite easily. He had gotten somewhat accustomed to Carina and Zondra while drinking last night, so he felt a little more comfortable with them. Couple that with his years in the Marines and he was not as easily flustered as he might have been in, say, high school.

"Would you like the detailed version or the Cliff's notes?" Chuck inquired with a smirk of his own, dancing an eyebrow.

Carina retorted in a sultry voice, pursing her lips and wrinkling her nose, "Ooo, Chuckie, give me every sorted detail," finishing with a soft moan. She was pulling out all the stops at trying to get Chuck to blush.

Leaning in close, he brought his hands up in front of him as if to demonstrate, and in a low, sexy voice he began, "So….there I was...in my room, the lights are low….slow jam playin'. I'm a little nervous, you know. This is a big deal for me. I want everything to be just right. So...I approach the bed and all I'm wearing ...just my boxer briefs and a smile," pausing for effect, he continued seeing the intent gaze as the two women leaned in closer as he continued. "I looked down at the bed...oh the choices I had before me. I reached down and gently caressed the soft...white…. Polo shirt. Then I thought to myself, Chuck, you're gonna spill something on that," his voice slowing returning to normal,"So then I decided on the black, button down shirt instead. You know, paired with the dark jeans? Anyway-" The onslaught of slaps to his shoulders began as both women began to curse his name and question his mother's marital status. He half-heartedly tried to fend off their attacks, "Hey! Hey! You said you wanted the details of the evening! Don't be mad at me. Be more careful what you wish for," Chuck chastised in amusement, quite pleased with himself.

"Alright, Chuckles. Alright. I see how it is. Well played," Zondra relented.

"But don't you think for one second that this is over," Carina added, with a mock seriousness as she poked him in the chest with each syllable.

"Should I be concerned?" Sarah questioned with a raised eyebrow as she descended the stairs, looking between her roommates and Chuck.

Chuck replied with a wry smile, "Nope. All good," exaggerating the pop on the "p". Carina and Zondra just rolling their eyes and shaking their heads, unable to hide their own smiles. Sarah just gave them an exasperated sigh as she made her way to the kitchen. She collected a small cooler from their pantry and placed some bottles of water in it, then pulled some cold packs from the freezer. She placed added in a bag of green grapes, a few apples and oranges and closed it up . She handed Chuck the cooler and the beach bag she brought down.

"Will you take those out to the car, please? I'll be right out." She gave Chuck a smile, which he returned and did as he was asked. Once he was out of the apartment, Sarah turned to her friends, sighing in resignation, preparing to accept the barrage of comments and jokes. "Ok. Let's hear it."

Carina and Zondra looked at each other with a knowing smirk. Zondra turned to Sarah, "We like him," she confessed with a shrug. Sarah was stunned. The few guys she had dated throughout college, these two sirens would mercilessly tease her about them and poke fun at them constantly. All they had to say about Chuck was they liked him? She shook her head in disbelief, "I'm sorry. What?"

Carina spoke up, "Look Blondie, he's smart, funny, kinda sexy and a complete badass, I must say. Mmmm. But beyond that, he respects and adores you. I can see it in the way he looks at you. I don't know what you did to him...with him...on him…" she snorted at herself " but whatever it was, he is gone." Carina crossed her arms and nodded in affirmation like there was nothing else to say.

"Pfft. That's ...that's crazy. We haven't even know each other, what ... 24 hours! No. This ...this is...it's...totally...casual," Sarah declared, but it was unclear if she was trying to convince her friends or herself.

"Suuuure, Sweetie. You keep tellin' yourself that. Not too casual I suspect from the look of you. I haven't seen you look this happy in….well…" Zondra trailed off, tapping a finger on her chin trying to think back.

"OK. OK. Yes, he is a great guy. Alright? Happy? But I'm leaving the middle of next week to head east and he'll be done with his leave, going back to God knows where….doing...you know…" Sarah was lost in thought for a moment but shook herself back to reality. "Look. We're just having some fun while he is here and then that's it. OK?" she finished with a little more adjatation than seemed warranted.

Both friends held their hands up in surrender, "OK. If that's what you want, great. We're happy for you. Really. Just ...be careful, alright? Now, you better get out there before Mrs. Fetzer across the way sees him and drags him in for dinner." That broke any tension in the air and brought a chuckle to them all.

"Alright, and...Thanks," Sarah gave her friends a sincere smile and nod as she left. Sarah made her way to the car to see Chuck standing on the passenger side, arms folded resting on the top just smiling at her. He almost looked like he was in a daydream or off in deep thought. Despite the look, when she reached the driver side he spoke.

"So? Everything OK?" he inquired, removing his arms and opening the door to get in.

"What? Oh, them? ... Fine. Hey, let's go stop and grab some sandwiches and we can be on our way," Sarah interjected, quickly changing the subject as she backed out of the lot.

Their day at the beach was going very well. They had laid a blanket down, eaten lunch and enjoyed some casual conversation. After cleaning up, Sarah stood to shed her regular clothes to reveal the impressive bikini beneath. After a moment, Chuck had managed to pick his jaw up out of the sand. Even though Chuck had rather meticulously surveyed every inch of real estate Sarah had to offer, seeing her in her bikini still caused his heart and mind to stop. The reaction was not lost on Sarah, who was quite amused and flattered. Especially because it was not the lustful ogling she was accustomed to, but more a look of awe and reverence. It actually made her blush a little with butterflies in her stomach.

Chuck was finally able to find his voice and tried to speak, fearing the awkward silence had gone on too long, "Wo..uh..you, uh...This um...this is probably not news to you, but… you are positively b-breathtaking. Wow!" Chuck stammered out shaking his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "I'm sorry that was… what I mean is you're beautiful in or out of your bikini. NO! Well, Yes….but ...that's not what.." Chuck silently clamped a hand to his forehead, gripping each temple, his other hand on his hip. He let out a slow breath shaking his head at himself. Sarah watched on trying to stifle her laughter at his adorably awkward attempt at explaining himself. Taking in a cleansing breath to collect himself, Chuck removed his hand, opened his eyes and looked at Sarah, "What I was trying to say is that, while, yes, you do look stunning, you are just a beautiful person, no matter what you wear." He paused and continued to look at her, holding her gaze. "But seriously, come on. You look like a Norse goddess, standing there. You are going to give somebody a heart attack...probably me," he chuckled at himself.

Sarah shook her head as a warm smile spread across her face. "Chuck, don't you think you are exaggerating juuust a little bit? This is California," motioning around the beach. "There are plenty of beautiful women everywhere," she declared.

Chuck just kept her gaze and shrugged, "I hadn't noticed," he stated very matter-of-factly. Sarah's smile lessened slightly as she contemplated the seriousness of his response. This was broken rather quickly as he then went on to take off his own shirt, revealing the chiseled body she'd had the pleasure on getting to know, intimately. In the bright sunlight, she could better see every detail; his firm, broad chest, washboard abs and strong, toned arms. She also noticed a tattoo on his right shoulder that she must have glanced over before. She would have to ask about that later. Apparently she was not the only one who took notice of Chuck, because just as Chuck's shirt hit the blanket, Sarah heard several gasps from nearby. Glancing over her shoulder she noticed a group of middle aged women in beach chairs had completely lost interest in their books as the stared at Chuck over top of their sunglasses. Bile began to rise in Sarah, seeing the hungry looks the cougars were giving Chuck. She was about to turn around and shove those trashy novels right down their…. _Whoa! What the hell is wrong with me? Be cool Walker. You're just 'casual' remember? Why am I using air quotes to myself? Damn it._ She took a deep breath and turned back toward Chuck putting a smile back on her face.

"Care to take a swim?" she inquired, nodding toward the water.

"Lead the way," he extended his hand toward the water with a wry smile. They jogged down to the water and swam and played in the surf. After a while, their playing turned a little more intimate, as they held each other close and shared a few kisses between talking and laughing. Taking a break from the water, they rested on their blanket and dried in the sun just enjoying each others company. They mostly just watched people playing up and down the beach, kids building in the sand and the surf going in and out in comfortable silence.

"Thank you, Sarah" Chuck broke in. "This has been a really great day. I've had a lot of fun. Thanks for bringing me here," he looked to her and smiled. "Now I have some really good memories of the sand and the water to take with me." His gaze drifted slightly as she watched the smile slowly fall from his face. He looked off at the horizon, squinting at the lowering sun. She could clearly see that something was bothering him, but she was a little afraid to bring it up for fear it may be getting too personal. He turned back to look at Sarah, who had not taken her eyes off of him. When his eyes locked with hers, his smile immediately returned and could now be seen in his eyes. "What do you say we go get cleaned up and get some dinner?" Chuck offered. Sarah just returned his smile and nodded emphatically.

Chuck and Sarah were together most every moment of the next 5 days, waking and not. They had done everything together, from running together in the mornings, to intimate dinners and even more intimate nights. They had even met up with Morgan and Angela a couple times, who were quite infatuated with one another and had few reservations with demonstrating that in public. This would be their last day together as Chuck had to return to Camp Pendleton tomorrow evening. They had gone on their morning jog and were eating a light breakfast at an outdoor cafe near Chuck's hotel. There had been some topics that Sarah had wanted to ask about, but had been apprehensive up until now.

"So, Chuck. I was curious, um...what made you want to join the Marines?" she asked over the rim of her coffee mug before taking a sip.

"Hmm, well. Let's see. I guess it was because of my Dad I suppose, but not entirely. It's a bit of a long story. You sure you want to hear it?" Chuck inquired, leaning in and resting his arms on the table. Sarah just nodded in the affirmative as she continued eating her omelette. "Alright. So, my father was in the Marines. Well, technically he was in the Navy, but he was a Navy Corpsman assigned to a Marine unit. He and my mother met in the Navy. They were both trained as hospital corpsman. She was mainly assigned to ship as medical staff but spent some time at some Naval hospitals too. My Dad however went on to become a Marine Recon corpsman. Those Recon Marines treated him like family. Many of them became like our family as well when they came home. Mom only stayed in for two tours before she left to take a civilian job at Westside Methodist in Burbank, to be close to her parents. Shortly after, my sister was born and a few years later I came along. When I was thirteen, we got the visit that my father had been wounded in the line of duty and shortly after died from his injuries at the field hospital." Chuck paused to take a drink of coffee and Sarah could clearly see that he was still feeling the pain from his father's passing.

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry Chuck. You don't have to-"

Chuck interrupted, "No. It's OK. It was like ten years ago, but yeah. I still miss him. He was one of the bravest and most honorable men I have ever known. I try to live up to that everyday. He always wanted so much for me. He had a dream that I would go off to college and be an engineer or something. So after he passed, I wanted to make that come true for him, you know. Fulfill his dream for me. So I worked hard because I knew that with what my Mom made and what little came from the survivor benefits, there was not a lot of money for college. Luckily, my sister got a scholarship to UCLA which helped. She studied Biology, pre-med to follow in my parents footsteps. A few years later, I got a full scholarship to Stanford University for Electrical and Computer Engineering."

"I'm...I'm sorry. You what?" Sarah nearly spit out her coffee.

"See, I told you I was a nerd," he said with a wry smile.

"So...How on Earth do you go from full ride Stanford, to Marine Corp.?" Sarah asked bewildered.

"Well. Near the end of my freshman year, my Mom got really sick. Turns out she had been sick for some time, but didn't want to worry my sister or I. She was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer and by the end of that summer she had lost her battle," Chuck swallowed thickly.

"Oh, Chuck," Sarah whispered as she grabbed his hand, tears in her eyes.

Chuck held up his other hand,"It's alright. We got a lot of support, especially from our Marine family that had served with my Dad. I did a lot of soul searching after that and as I wondered the campus of Stanford at the start of my sophomore year I came across a Marine recruiting booth. Something came over me at that moment. Seeing the man in that uniform and looking at myself. I know what my father wanted for me, but there was just something in the pit of my stomach that was telling me that I had a different path to follow. While I could be successful at being an engineer, I felt in my heart that I had a greater calling to follow in my father's….in my 'family's' footsteps. So, I signed up that day and withdrew from Stanford. Needless to say, my sister was not very pleased with me, but she eventually came to accept it...sort of. She's finishing up medical school now, but is currently in a study abroad program of some sort at Oxford. Otherwise I might have gone to LA instead of here, and then I'd have never met you. But here I am..."he trailed off.

"And your uh...tattoo?" Sarah pointed at his shoulder.

"Oh, right. This is the Marine Force Recon emblem," lifting his sleeve to reveal the skull tattoo with wings behind it, over top of crossed oars. It was encircled by a ring with the words 'FORCE RECON' across the top and 'SWIFT - DEADLY - SILENT' across the bottom with 'USMC' just above it. "I got this about six months ago after finishing my training to get 0326. That is Reconnaissance Marine Parachutist and Combatant Diver Qualified. I have a lot more courses to take but those signify that I am trained to deploy into action from land, air or sea." Chuck smiled with a hint of pride as he lowered his sleeve.

"Wow. That sounds kinda badass. How did you make it from Stanford nerd to badass? That must have been tough," she questioned, a wry smile on her face.

"I'm not gonna lie, it was the hardest thing I have ever done. It nearly broke me a number of times. Made me question why I was doing all this. All I had to do was think of my parents, my extended family and all of the people here and around the world that I will be helping. That gave me the determination to push through it all. It made the years of training and sacrifice seem worth it," Chuck shrugged.

"So you have to go back tomorrow…where will you go from there?" Sarah asked, staring into her coffee, sounding a little more serious.

"I don't know yet. It's hard to say. Could be the Middle East, or any number of other places. Who knows. I couldn't really tell you anyway if I did know," he said with a lopsided smile and a shrug.

"Off to save the world at a moments notice, huh? Never knowing where your next mission will be, when you'll be back, … If you'll be back," Sarah finished, a flat look on her face, stirring her coffee, still not looking up.

"Uh... yeah. Some-something like that...I guess. Anything is possible I suppose, but I certainly have every intention of coming home," Chuck replied with his brow starting to furrow. He was getting concerned with the line of questioning. "So, what about you? You've never really told me much about what you do or where this 'life plan' you have is going to take you," Chuck interjected, trying to change the subject.

Sarah flagged the waiter down, "Can we get the check please?" She stood and placed her napkin on her plate, "Excuse me. I need to use the restroom before we go." Chuck just sat in surprise as she left the table and watched her walk away. He paid the bill and waited for her to return, milling over in his head what he had said that had apparently gotten her so upset.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sarah stood in the restroom with her hands braced on the sink. She was staring into the sink, water running, but what she hoped to find she didn't know. There was an ache in her chest, a growing fear that she fought to push down. Over the days they had spent together, she had begun to feel a closeness that she had never experienced with anyone else. Despite repeatedly telling herself that this was a bad idea, she ignored her own instincts and convinced herself that she knew what she was doing, that she could keep it just casual. She could see in his eyes that 'just casual' had gone down the drain days ago. If she were honest, there was likely nothing casual about them from the start. This could threaten her plans, everything she worked for to this point. What did she think was going to happen? They'd be boyfriend and girlfriend? How the hell was that going to work? She was moving to Virginia and he was going to….she had no clue. What if something happened to him? What if he … what if? That damn ache in her chest grew, making it hard to breath, to focus. She knew … she knew she would not be strong enough. The thought of leaving him tomorrow as hard enough, but knowing that he could be lost forever, she could not recover from that. He was such a good man... she knew she would be broken. Everything would be lost. The only way she could manage would be if she just simply didn't know, distanced herself. Ignorance is bliss, right? She could pretend he was safe somewhere, living a good life, even if it wasn't with her. At least she would have that knowledge, fictional as it may be. She would have to make a clean break, it would be the only way. She splashed some cold water on her face and dried it with some towels. She was finally able to look at the woman in the mirror. She adjusted her expression for the part she needed to play. She could not let him know, or he would make it so much more difficult. Taking a deep breath she made her way back to the table.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chuck was starting to worry. Sarah had been gone a while and she seemed to leave in a hurry. Just as he was contemplating going to search for her, he saw her walking toward the table. She didn't seem angry, but she wasn't exactly smiling either. Chuck stood as she approached.

"I took care of the check. Everything alright?" Chuck asked, a little apprehension in his voice.

Sarah offered a weak smile, "Yep. Fine. You ready to go?" Chuck just nodded, not wanting to press the issue. They walked for a while in silence, Chuck following Sarah's lead. They meandered through some local shops, holding up trinkets or clothing for the others opinion. Very little was spoken, only sterile, inconsequential chatting about nothing. Sarah excused herself a few times to make and take phone calls. Chuck gave her space, not wanting to spy or eavesdrop, though his curiosity was challenging his resolve. When she finally returned, she approached Chuck and cleared her throat, "Hey. Um..would it be alright if I head back to my place to lay down for a bit? I'm feeling a little worn out. Do you mind?" Her tone was slightly pleading and her expression unreadable.

"Uh, sure. Yeah, of course. Please. Whatever you need to do," Chuck replied sincerely.

"Thanks. I can drop you off at your hotel if you want before I go," Sarah offered.

"No. No. It's fine. It's only a few blocks. You go. I'll be just fine, really," Chuck insisted. Sarah nodded and moved in close to him. She pulled him into a hug and gave a tight squeeze. Craning her head up, she placed a kiss on his cheek and spoke softly near his ear. "Bye Chuck." She pulled away and Chuck waved goodbye. Given how they had spent their time over the past few days, the action seemed rather distant, platonic, but Chuck just attributed it to her fatigue.

"Hey, Sarah. What about dinner tonight? You think you'd be up for it?" Chuck asked, hope in his voice.

"Sure, Chuck. We'll see. I'll give you a call," she replied and waved her goodbye as she turned the corner and was gone. He stood there staring at the corner for several minutes. A strange feeling came over Chuck, like a cloud blotting out the Sun, taking the warmth from the air. A panic set in, much like the feeling you get when you wake up and realize your alarm never went off. Like you are going to be late for something but you have no idea what. Chuck tried to shake off the feeling as he walked to the corner. As he turned he half expected to see Sarah there, but obviously she was gone. He collected his thoughts and started his walk back to his hotel.

After about half an hour he was sitting on his bed, staring at the dresser. A sense of emptiness enveloped him but he chastised himself for being so dramatic. _Come on, Bartowski! Get your shit together._ As much as he tried to fight it, he missed her. Simple as that. She had filled a hole in himself that he didn't realize was there. Whether it was laying in bed, running on the beach or laughing at a movie, he felt 'whole' when she was with him. It was a feeling he hadn't really experienced, at least not in this way. He knew he made a deal with her that this would be just a casual, no-strings endeavor, but his heart was telling him that it was far too late for that. He wanted Sarah Walker in his life, whatever that looked like. Whatever her 'life plan' entailed, he would try to find a way to fit into it. Tonight at dinner, he would present her with a new deal. Hopefully she would be amenable to the idea. He laid down on the bed, contemplating the evening and dozed off for a while.

Chuck awoke a few hours later and he was excited. He showered, shaved, got dressed and waited for Sarah to call. He turned on the TV for some noise and surfed on his phone to find a good place for dinner and maybe someplace new to go dancing. Unable to wait any longer, he decided to call her instead. The call eventually went to voicemail, so he figured she might still be sleeping or in the shower maybe. He tried again about thirty minutes later. It rang several times and then abruptly went to voicemail, as if she declined the call. Maybe he was being a little pushing, so he figured he would give it some time. It was now 5:00 and Chuck tried again but this time it went straight to voicemail. A bit odd but maybe her battery died or she was on the phone with someone. He sent a text, 'You still up for dinner tonight? Give me a call - C'. He waited for a while with no response. He paced his room and flipped through the channels over and over, finding nothing to catch his interest. He called again but still it went directly to voicemail. Several more attempts yielded the same result. It nearly 7:00 now and he was definitely worried. He grabbed his wallet and room keycard and left. He grabbed a cab out front and took it to Sarah's place. He hoped she wouldn't be pissed that he just showed up unannounced, but he had tried to contact her. He got out of the cab, paid the driver and walked to Sarah's apartment. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He waited and eventually the door opened to reveal Carina, a perplexed look on her face.

"Chuckie? Uh...what um...what are you doing here?" she asked in confusion. Chuck was just as confused it seemed, as he figured it was obvious.

"Um… I was trying to call Sarah to see about dinner but I couldn't get through. I texted her and called several times. The calls just went to…" Chuck stopped himself. An epiphany hit Chuck, or more accurately slapped him across the face. He closed his eyes and winced, blowing out a breath. Chuck lowered his head to face the ground, "I am SUCH an idiot. I'm 'THAT' guy. I refused to see the signs." Chuck shook his head in disbelief. "I just didn't take the hint. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Carina," Chuck offered, despondent.

"What are you talking about, Chuck? We...we dropped Sarah off at the airport hours ago. Didn't you…" Carina trailed off as her eyes got wide as saucers and her hand covered her mouth in shock. The shock was mirrored on Chuck's face as he furrowed his brow.

"I'm sorry...airport?" Chuck managed to get out between his goldfish impersonations, trying to talk but nothing coming out.

"She didn't tell… Oh, God. Chuck. I...I don't …" Carina was visibly shaken, her eyes glistening, searching.

"Hey. Who is it-", Zondra asked coming behind Carina and stopping dead in her tracks seeing Chuck. She looked at Carina and back to Chuck. When she turned her questioning gaze back to Carina, Zondra could see the look on her face. "What happened?" Zondra demanded.

After Carina took a staggered breath she was able to reply. "It appears that Sarah forgot to inform someone that she changed her plans and was leaving today," she confessed, gritting her teeth.

"She did what?!" Zondra exploded. "Wha...H-How could she do something so fucked up like that? She didn't say goodbye or...or anything?" Zondra asked, clearly angry.

"Well, she said goodbye to me, but not like 'Goodbye' goodbye. You know? I asked if she wanted to have dinner tonight and she said 'Sure' and that she'd call. When I didn't hear from her I decided to call. When I did it just….went to voicemail. I...I don't understand. We … we had such a good time I thought. God was...was I that blind? Was it all just in my head? What...what did I do? God I must have seemed like such an idiot to her. How could I have been so stupid to think…." Chuck just closed his eyes, took a deep breath and shook his head.

"No. Chuck. It wasn't just you. I thought….we thought... Well, I don't know what to say Chuck. I don't understand it either. This doesn't seem like her. I have to believe that she had some sort of reason, as misguided as it may seem," Zondra offered, taking hold of Chuck's forearm.

"Thanks. Look, I'm ...I'm sorry to have bothered you guys. You uh… you take care of yourselves, huh?" Chuck forced a smile.

Carina bit her lip and threw her arms around Chuck, giving him a strong hug. Through sniffles she replied, "You too Chuckie. You too. Be safe." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and then backed into the apartment, hiding herself behind the door.

Zondra gave him a hug of her own. When she pulled away, a little misty eyed herself, she looked Chuck in the eye, placing a hand on either side of his face, "You come home safe, Chuck. You hear?"

Chuck just nodded, "Yes Ma'am." He pulled out his wallet and handed Zondra a card. "His is my cell number. You ever need anything, give me call. Maybe send me a text from time to time, let me know you guys are doing alright, huh? Send me all the juicy details?" Chuck gave a wry smile but it didn't reach his eyes as it normally would. Zondra gave a wet chuckle and nodded. They waved their goodbyes as Chuck backed away. Zondra closed the door behind her and leaned against it. Letting out a sigh, "Blondie, what the hell did you do?"

Chuck walked for hours clearing his head until he finally ended up at his hotel. He lay in his bed reading through his previous texts with Sarah. Before he drifted off to sleep he sent one last text, "Goodbye Sarah Walker. I'll miss you. I really hope your 'life plan' works out."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sarah was seated on the plane, bound for Washington DC. People were still boarding, stuffing items in overhead storage as she looked out her window at the tarmac. She could feel her phone vibrate as it rang. She looked down to see it was Chuck again. She stared at the picture as it continued to vibrate in her hand. With her lip quivering and tears streaking down her face, she held the power button on her phone and swiped to power it off. As it went black, she placed her hand flat over the screen, "Goodbye Chuck..."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Present day

Sarah Walker sat in the hallway waiting for news. It had been hours with no word. She was staring at her hands when she saw a pair of boots appear in front of her. Then a styrofoam cup with coffee appeared in her field of view. She looked up to see Morgan offering her a cup of coffee. He just nodded and she took it with both hands as she was a little shaky. Morgan sat down beside her with his own coffee. After a few minutes of silence, Sarah finally spoke.

"I need him to be OK, Morgan," she confessed at just above a whisper, staring into the inky blackness of her coffee.

Morgan gently patted her on the knee, "Hey. This is Chuck. He's gonna fine. We were lucky the USNS Comfort was so close. Plus this place, it's top notch. You should really try to get some sleep, Sarah. No offense, but you look exhausted," Morgan said, trying to be comforting.

"He must hate me. He _should _hate me for what I did... I know I do," she choked out with a sniffle. "I just need a chance...a chance to explain," she let out a shuddering breath.

"Sarah, I know for a fact that he does not hate you. Yes, he was heartbroken for a while. But let me tell you something. When he found your purse in the wreckage of that plane, I saw the look on his face. There is not much that scares the Sarg, but that...that scared the hell out of him. And when we got to that compound, I knew there would be nothing that would stop him from getting to you. I think you know how that worked out for your captors. So believe me when I say, he still cares for you. Just be patient, OK?" Morgan looked over to Sarah for a response. Sarah just nodded and slowly leaned her head on Morgan's shoulder.

About an hour later Sarah jolted awake, apparently having dozed off leaning on Morgan's shoulder. A doctor was approaching so Morgan and Sarah both stood to great him.

"Corporal. Miss. Sergeant Bartowski is out of surgery and is in recovery. The wound to his leg did not hit any bone or major arteries. The wound to his left shoulder however was a little more serious. The bullet broke apart into three pieces. One just barely embedded in his clavicle, another lodged in his scapulae and the last piece bounced around and stopped in his upper pectoral muscle. Luckily it missed his lung or any vital arteries in his neck and chest. He should make a full recovery. In the next day or so he will be airlifted to Walter Reed for recovery and rehab."

"Doctor, can I see him? Please." Sarah pleaded. The doctor looked at Morgan who mouthed 'girlfriend' though Sarah couldn't see. The doctor studied her for a moment, noticing her ID badge and then eventually acquiesced.

"He is still sleeping, but you can sit with him," the doctor relented. He escorted them to Chuck's recovery room and spoke with the nursing staff. Sarah pulled a chair up to the right side of Chuck's bed and sat down, her hands in her lap. Morgan placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He's gonna be here for a while. You're gonna be no good to anyone if you don't get some sleep. OK?" Morgan gave her a pointed look. She looked up, gave a nod and a half smile.

"Thanks, Morgan. For...for everything." Morgan just nodded and gave her a smile.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Morgan called as he left the room. Sarah scooted her chair as close to the bed as she could. She took Chuck's hand in hers as she watched him sleep. Eventually, her exhaustion over took her and she laid her head on top of their joined hands and drifted off to sleep.

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A/N2: Lots more to come ( I hope). Please remember to review or PM me any your comments. Thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Annnnd we're back. Welcome to Chapter 5. Real live tends to get int he way some times so this chapter is a little late in coming. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

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Chapter 5

6 years prior

Sarah sat her purse on the counter and bag on the floor, surveying her extended stay hotel room. It was quaint with a small kitchen, island buffet, small table with two chairs and two full size beds. This would be home for about a week, until she moved into the dorms at the Academy to start training. She sat on the bed and with an exasperated sigh, she flopped backward, laying sprawled out as if preparing to make a snow angel. After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes she pulled out her phone and powered it on. She had not turned it on when she landed, fearful of what might await her. It was time to face the music. Hopefully now that all of North America separated her from Irvine, this would be a safe enough distance. She had a number of missed calls from Chuck, of course, along with several from Zondra and Carina. There were five voicemail messages and several missed texts. Two of the texts were from Chuck. Her thumb hovered over his name for a moment before opening the text history.

Chuck: You still up for dinner tonight? Give me a call - C

Chuck: Goodbye Sarah Walker. I'll miss you. I really hope your 'life plan' works out.

The tears rolled down the corners of her eyes and into her hair, the phone held aloft, staring down at her, almost as if passing judgement. She set the phone on her stomach, covering her face with her hands as she shook and sobbed. After a few minutes, she wiped the tears away and collected herself. She then went back to review the remaining texts.

Carina: You are some piece of work Blondie. WTF is wrong with you?

Zondra: Call me. We need to talk, ASAP.

It seemed clear that Chuck must have spoken to them. She almost expected a hate-filled rant from Chuck, voicing his hatred of her and what she'd done. That thought quickly vanished as she knew that was not Chuck's way. He would more likely make it seem like his fault, somehow. Carina was clearly not happy with her. Apparently, when her friends had voiced that they liked Chuck, Sarah must have underestimated how much exactly. Carina was not wrong though, was she? Sarah played back her voicemail messages. One was from Zondra, essentially the same wording as her text, but the tone was even more angry than her mind's eye had given to her words. The other messages were telemarketers or related to her moving, which she would address later. She took a few deep breaths to build up her courage and then finally called Zondra. Without prefacing her comments with a greeting, Zondra just dove right in when she answered.

"Sarah Walker, What. The. Fuck. is the matter with you? How? How could you just up and leave without saying anything to him? I've seen some pretty shitty, cowardly things in my time, but that...that was a special kind of low," spat Zondra, her words full of contempt.

"I KNOW! Believe me….I know," Sarah barked back in response, but her words lost steam as she continued. She was quiet for a moment before continuing. "The more I found out about him, the more time I spent with him, the more I…." Sarah swallowed hard. "The more I found myself liking him. That...that's how it starts. I … I saw it time and again growing up."

"What are you talking about? What did you see?" Zondra's vitriol had lessened slightly but was still quite prevalent.

Sarah took a slow breath, "My Mom had to drop out of college because she got pregnant with me. So she had to put her life, her ambitions on hold while my 'Dad' just left to go live the life he wanted. She would try to get her life together, better our situation and then some 'man' would come in and RIP it out from under her. She was always trying to find someone to fill a void in her life and every time….every time she had her hopes and dreams stolen from her. They either bleed her dry by sponging off of her, stole from her or both. Then there were the ones that were abusive on top of that. My mother wanted better for me than all that. She'd always tell me 'No man controls your destiny.' I swore that I was going to put ME first, you know? I had goals for myself, a plan. I was going to make that plan happen and nobody was going to stop me. No distractions, no detours… But then.." she trailed off.

"But then Chuck happened," Zondra interjected with a lot less venom in her tone than before.

"Yeah...then Chuck happened. I … I thought I was strong enough. Strong enough that I could just casually enjoy myself. No strings, you know? Hell, guys do it all the time, right? " she questioned rhetorically. "Chuck was...different. He's like no man I've ever met. He...he wormed his way in and I couldn't stop it….didn't _want_ to stop it. I knew I would have to leave him and it was killing me. The more I learned, the worse it got. Then….then his job. Being deployed, who knows where. Not knowing when he would come home…if he would come home. Maybe never knowing. That thought was like a punch to the gut. Even though it was a hypothetical…" she trailed off again, trying to find her words. "I'm not strong enough to deal with that. I just...I just couldn't." Sarah was quiet for a moment, letting out a shaky breath. She took in a long, quivering breath and continued, "Then he started asking about me and my plans. I knew it right then. All that he had shared with me, it drew me in and made it infinitely harder for me to do what I had to do. I… I wanted to save him from that. If he didn't invest, then it would make the leaving easier," Sarah finished with a sniffle.

"So the less he knew about you, the easier it would be on him. OK, I can kinda see your weak logic there. Look I get that you are trying to protect yourself, but do you really think that Chuck would make you give up anything to be with him? Don't you think that he would want you to be successful in life as well?" Zondra asked, a pleading tone to her voice.

"It's not that he would ask me, Z. It's … it's the fact that I would likely do it anyway. Even if he didn't ask me. So I guess I'm not protecting myself from him...but rather protecting myself from …'me'. I could see myself following him wherever and putting my life on hold, just like my Mom would have. I just don't trust myself around him. Nobody has ever been able to break down my defenses like he has, Zondra. If...If I talked with him again, I know my resolve would fail. That's why I had to just go. To run as far and as fast as I could. I'm sure it sounds ridiculous to you and irrational, but it's how I feel and I can't help it," Sarah choked out, trying to hold in her sob as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Alright. Alright, Blondie. I can tell how much this is hurting you and while I may not agree with the way you handled it, this is your life. I can't tell you how to live it. I just wish you'd think about at least explaining it to him. I dunno...send an email or write a letter. People still do that right?" Zondra quipped trying to lighten the somber mood a little. "I think it might make you feel better too. Just promise me you'll think about it? There may be a day when you'll want to cross that bridge again, so let's not burn it just yet. Huh?" Zondra asked, trying to inject a sense of hope in her words.

"Alright Z. I...I promise. I'll think about it. Um...is uh...Carina…" Sarah stops not really sure how to complete her thought.

"She was pretty upset. She probably won't admit it but she took a real liking to him. Not sure why but I suspect much the same reason … the same reason I did. He's a good man and those are hard to come by. He really cares for you. You can see it in the way he looks at you. Anyway...I'll talk to her. Smooth things over if I can. Give her some time and she'll come around. Keep in touch, huh? Carina and I will be moving out here soon too. Heading east. Maybe we can get together," Zondra offers with a tinge of hope in her voice.

"I'd like that a lot. Thanks. Tell Carina that if she is still coming early I have an extra bed. Thanks for the talk, Z. I miss you guys already," Sarah confessed with sadness in her voice.

"Yeah. Same here. You take care of yourself, Girlie. And don't take no shit from anybody in the Academy, you hear?" Zondra commanded.

"Yeah. I got it, Z. I'll talk at ya later." Sarah hung up the phone and pulled her pillow over her face.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Present

A voice was growing louder, coming slowly into focus. "Miss Walker? Miss Walker. Sarah!" With that she shot up, quickly surveying her surroundings. After several long blinks, she gained some clarity. She was still sitting in the chair beside Chuck's bed, where he appeared to still be asleep. Standing next to her was Secretary Whitacre, bent down with his hands on his knees.

"Sir! I'm ...I'm sorry I dozed-"

"No. No. I'm sorry to wake you, but our ride will be leaving for DC soon. I uh...I didn't want to just send some grunt down here to fetch you. Plus, I wanted to check in on the Sergeant here … before we left. I understand he will be transported to Walter Reed soon. That's a top notch facility. He'll be in good hands there," Whitacre offered, attempting to set her at ease.

"Sir, I'd … I'd really like to stay with him if that's at all possible. Please," Sarah pleaded, looking back to Chuck.

"I'm sorry, Miss Walker. We are all due back in Washington for debriefings and such, in the wake of what's happened," he replied with a remorseful gaze.

"But, Sir-" Sarah tried to voice her protest but was interrupted.

"Miss Walker. I really am sorry, but we must go. We also need to be out of these people's hair so they can do their jobs," he declared. Sarah slowly dropped her head and her shoulders slumped in resignation. "But… I believe that once those debriefings and evaluations are complete, I will need some time to … recuperate. I suspect that it will take me at least a couple weeks...maybe longer. I think that everyone involved could use that time off, don't you think Miss Walker?" he asked with a wry smile forming across his face.

Sarah, upon hearing the man's suggestion, raised her head in surprise. "I'm sorry, Sir? Time off?"

"Oh, absolutely. You may wish to pursue some … psychological counseling after an ordeal like this. You know, I hear that Walter Reed has a fantastic outpatient facility. Perhaps you might like to check it out...you know, if you're in the neighborhood, of course," His wry smile began to turn into a smirk.

The implications of his suggestions were not lost on her as a smile began to spread across her face. "You know, I think that might be a great idea, Sir. Thank you." The look of appreciation on her face was evident. "I need to leave him a note at least. I can't just leave without saying something." _Not this time. _ Sarah found a notepad and a pen and wrote a note for Chuck. She thought out her words carefully. She didn't want to push things too much, but she wanted to make sure he understood that she was not really leaving, at least not like before. Once she was satisfied with the note, she sought out Morgan, explained to him the situation and gave him the note with explicit instructions to get it to Chuck as soon as he woke up. Her demands were just shy of a blood oath from Morgan, but he happily agreed. Sarah took one last visit to look in on Chuck and squeezed his hand before departing for the helipad.

Sarah watched as the USNS Comfort shrank to little more than a white speck afloat on the vast blue sea. That feeling of loss began to overtake her once again, a python slowly constricting her, squeezing the breath from her. See closed her eyes, trying to convince herself that this was just a momentary parting, an evil of necessity. Envisioning their reuniting in a few days, she was able to bring her breathing back under control. However this brought about a whole other series of concerns. What would she say to him? Would he even want to listen? God, how could she explain what she barely understands herself anymore? Leaving the way she did, without a word, seemed like the right thing at the time. But now...now many of those reasons seem to have evaporated. She had sought out her 'life plan' and fate had a wonderful hand in turning that plan on it's head. When hope was nearly lost, fate had interceded yet again and brought Chuck back into her life. Then on the heels of this joyous reunion, fate follows with her worst fear become reality; nearly losing Chuck. Perhaps this was all retribution for the poor choices she made. Trying to put her career plans first and rejecting the man she had feelings for just served to protect herself. Maybe she was getting her just desserts for her selfishness.

"I often find that my problems aren't as daunting as I feel them to be after I talk them out with someone," a voice shook her from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry?" Sarah questioned as she turned toward the source. Secretary Whitacre was looking at her over the top of a magazine.

"I was concerned that you were about to tear that seatbelt clean through at the rate you were going," he mused as he directed his gaze to her hands. She followed his gaze and realized that she had been fidgeting and twisting at the strap of the seatbelt while deep in thought.

A slight blush rose to her cheeks, "Right. Yeah. Sorry about that. Just thinking about some long overdue conversations that may not be all that pleasant," she confessed with a slight shrug.

"Well, if my career in politics has taught me anything, it's that honesty is always the best policy," he offered with a snicker at the look she was giving him. "I never said that I was well versed in said policy, myself." The man bounced his eyebrows and went back to looking at his magazine. Sarah couldn't help the smile on her face at his admission as a small chuckle escaped.

Once they reached an airport in Puerto Rico, they took a government flight straight to Dulles. Given that flight was roughly four hours, Sarah had plenty of time for catching up on some much needed sleep. After landing, several black Suburbans were waiting for them on the tarmac. Though she insisted she could take a cab or Uber, Secretary Whitacre insisted that one of the Suburbans was to transport her and the others to their cars or their homes as needed. Acquiescing, she was finally dropped at her apartment. When she walked in the door of the rather stark apartment, she immediately plugged her phone into the charger as it had been dead since well before they left the hospital ship. She then proceeded to the bathroom where she took an incredibly long, hot shower. Even when she was clean, she still struggled with washing away the memories of what had transpired, the crash, the capture and finally the rescue. She had been pushing the thoughts down of how close things had come to a very terrible end for her. Dwelling on that would do her no good. That fact of the matter was that she _was _rescued in time. After finally resigning herself to getting out of the shower, she slipped into some comfortable pajamas and went to the kitchen in search of some food. The outlook was bleak, so takeout Chinese it is then.

Turning her phone on she was mildly disappointed to find no missed calls or text messages. She supposed that was not terribly surprising since her only friends wouldn't call this phone anyway. Speaking of which, she should probably check her burner phone in case either of them have tried to reach out. First things first, she called the Chinese restaurant down the street from the magnet prominently displayed on her fridge. The woman on the phone took her order, the usual. Perhaps she called this place a little too often. Maybe she should find a new place to change things up a little. With her dinner thirty minutes or more away, she went to her go bag in her closet and pulled out a burner phone and powered it on. There was a text message waiting from "Z". "Please Call when you get this". Sarah clicked the call icon and waited.

"Rizzo secure"

"Walker Secure"

"Oh, Thank God. You OK, Blondie? I heard through the 'grapevine' about your plane. Jesus, you scared the shit outta me." Zondra was clearly shaken.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm alright. I just got home a little bit ago. Just some minor bumps and scrapes," Sarah replied trying to sound positive.

"Really?" The skepticism in Zondra's voice was dripping. "You crash land in the jungle, in the middle of frickin' nowhere and you're 'alright'? Come on Walker."

Sarah sighed slightly before continuing, "OK. But when I tell you, you're not going to believe me. So, after the plane crash, about ten armed men show up and took the eight, well….six of us hostage to a homestead in the middle of the jungle. They interrogated us for hours. Finally, the guy interrogating me was…." she trailed off for a moment. "Let's just say he certain ideas in mind. As if by some miracle, he let go of me and started choking and gurgling before he fell to the ground. A guy in full camo and a balaklava stood in front of me, blood smeared on his sleeves and gloves. I...I thought things had just gone from bad to worse." Sarah stopped for a moment to swallow back lump in her throat.

"Jesus, Sarah. What...what happened?" Zondra inquired, a sense of fear in her voice.

"He...he took off a glove and placed his hand on top of he pulled out a knife and cut me free." Sarah confessed.

"He..he did what? You're saying this creepy guy just...held your hand?" Zondra questioned.

"I could barely look the whole time. Then ..then he took my other hand and called my name." Zondra gasped at that, but didn't utter a word, captivated by the story. "I asked who he was and what he wanted with me. That's when he pulled off his balaklava," Sarah paused for effect.

"..And?" Zondra was on the edge of her seat, hardly able to contain herself.

"It...it was Chuck," Sarah choked out.

"Wh..what? Wait. Wait. Wait. Chuck? You mean...your Chuck? That Chuck? How?" Zondra asked, dumbfounded.

Sarah paused for a moment, "Well...he's...he's not 'my' Chuck, but yes. That's the one. He said he was there to bring me home. He's a Force Recon Marine and he and his team were sent in to retrieve us. Zondra, that night at the bar, when he fought those guys, I thought that was badass. When I talked with some of his team and looking at the scene afterward I was rescued, they told me Chuck himself went through like 15 guys or more to… to get to me...well us, I guess," Sarah corrected.

"Holy shit!" Zondra exclaimed harsh whisper.

"Yeah...but when they were waiting on the airlift out, truckloads of Venezuelan military showed up. Chuck made me stay in the bathtub with…'my boss' while they dealt with them. Once the firefight was over, Chuck went to help check for survivors and secure the area. That's when one of the surviving men opened dove in front of him, probably saving the lives of 3 or 4 people. Chuck was shot twice at close range with an AK," Sarah said through some sniffling. Reliving that time had brought back those same feelings. She blew out a long breath.

"No…" Zondra breathed out.

"They were able to stabilize him and they got us to a Naval hospital ship not far away. He underwent surgery and is recuperating." Sarah finished, a sense of relief filling her voice.

"Jesus Christ, Walker. So … what did he have to say? What did you say to him? You guys talked right?" Zondra inquired. Sarah was quiet for a moment, not responding to Zondra's inquiry. "Damnit Walker!" she exclaimed, exasperation in her voice.

"Look, it wasn't my fault! He was still sleeping when I had to leave, OK? I wrote a note though, telling him that I would see him soon and we would talk. I gave it to his friend Morgan and explained, so this is not a repeat of last time. Alright?" Sarah was quiet waiting for acknowledgement from her friend. After a moment of silence Zondra finally replied.

"Good. When are you gonna be able to see him again? You gonna be able to get the time off to travel to see him?" Zondra asked.

"Well, that's the thing. They are taking him to Walter Reed for recovery and rehab for now. After I go through the debriefs, my 'boss' is gonna give me some time off. So he will be close and I can go see him and…" Sarah became silent searching for her words.

"That's great. So what's the problem? You'll have time to sit and talk, maybe see where things lead. That's what you really want isn't it? It's what's been eating at you these past years. The whole 'what if', right?" Zondra prodded, sensing the apprehension in her voice.

"I'm...I'm scared Z. He….he has every right to hate me for what I did to him. What if he doesn't want to talk to me? What if he can't or won't forgive me? What if…..what if he's moved on? What do I do then? God, I'm such an idiot. It's probably what I deserve." Sarah was getting choked up, trying her best to hold back the tears.

"Hey! That's enough of that crap. Did you make a mistake? Yes. Did you have good reasons? Meh...jury's still out. What's important here is, deserving or not, do you want to be with him? All those reasons you had before, what's different now? What's to say you won't bail on him when things get hard?" Zondra was not holding back any punches.

"Because I...I just know," Sarah replied but a little hesitant.

"Because? That's the best you got? 'Because'. Great answer, Blondie," Zondra's tone was dripping with sarcasm. "You're gonna have to do better than that. Give me one….ONE reason why he should give you another chance?" Zondra was getting exasperated with her friend.

"Because it just is! it's different now, OK?" Sarah was starting to get angry with Zondra's jabs.

"Why?! Why is it any different? Christ, if you can't convince me, you have zero chance of convincing him. Why, Walker?" Zondra was practically yelling through the phone.

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, DAMNIT! YOU HAPPY?!" Sarah shouted over her tears, breaking into a sob.

After a moment of silence Zondra broke in with a much kinder, gentler tone, "And finally, there it is. Sweetie...I know you do. Now that you've finally admitted it to yourself, I think you have the answers to all those questions. You might not want to lead off your conversation with that admission, but prove it to him. Be patient, listen and be honest with him. I'm sure that if you tell him what you were going through and why, he will understand. It may take time to regain his trust in you, but I have a really good feeling things will work out. As long as you are committed to it."

"How...how do you know?" Sarah's voice was shaky, still sniffling from crying.

"Because I saw the look on that man's face when you brought him to the apartment, the way he looked at you. And I saw the look on his face 6 years ago when he showed up at our door. That's not the look of someone who was interested in a casual hookup. You can't break someone's heart like that if they only have a passing affection for you. I'll bet that feeling is still there, you just need to convince him it is safe to have those feelings again." Zondra was quiet for a moment waiting for Sarah to say something. "Look, I'm sorry but I really have to get going. I'll call ya in a few days, alright? You gonna be OK?" the regret of having to leave her friend in this state was hard, but duty called.

"Yeah. Yeah I'll be alright. Thanks for the talk. I...I really needed that more than I knew. You take care of yourself, huh?" Sarah pleaded.

"Thanks and good luck. Tell him I say 'Hey'," Zondra chuckled as she disconnected. Sarah turned off the phone and held the phone to her chest, her hands crossed over it. She sat for a few minutes thinking until she finally stood up from her bed and plugged the phone in to charge for a while. A couple minutes later her food arrived and she sat on her couch eating while watching in morbid curiosity some shopping channel with the most godawful jewelry she had ever seen. When she had her fill of both the food and the ugly jewelry, she put the leftover Chinese in the fridge and went to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chuck's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the light. He tried to make sense of his surrounds as the last thing he remembered was being in a helicopter with… He patted the bed with his right hand, sensing that there was something missing. Searching a little further and a little more frantic he turned to see that there was an empty chair beside the bed. He looked around and started to sit up but the pain in his shoulder and a bout of vertigo made him think again. Laying back down in resignation he saw Morgan walk in carrying a cup of coffee. When Morgan mad eye contact, his face immediately lit up as he quickened his pace to the bed.

"Dude! Your awake. How uh...how you feelin'? Can I get you anything? Some water? A pillow? Something to read? Maybe-" Morgan halted his rambling as Chuck grabbed his wrist firmly.

Chuck made an effort to speak, 'Water, please" he let out in a raspy whisper. Morgan motioned to Chuck to stay put as he backed away to get a nurse, garnering an eye roll from Chuck. Returning a moment later with a nurse in tow, holding a large sports cup with a bendy straw.

Chuck saw the attractive woman coming and upon seeing her rank, instinctively tried to sit up and saluted her, eliciting a wince from the pain.

The show garnered a small smile from the nurse, "At ease, Sergeant. I'm Lt. Baker, but if you like you can call me Jenny," the woman looked around, somewhat in jest to see if anyone was looking. "I'll be your nurse for the next few hours. Here's some water. Drink it slow for now. Don't overdo it. How's your pain level?" Jenny asked checking over his bandages.

Chuck just grunted and shrugged his right shoulder, "Manageable right now. Just sore unless I try to move. Feel like I got my ass beat," he chuckled slightly.

"Well, you got shot twice and all things considered you're doing really well. The doctor will be in soon to explain everything. Can I get you anything?" she inquired as she wrote notes on a chart.

"Uh, no. Thank you, Ma'am." Chuck replied respectfully. Even though they were roughly the same age, maybe her even a little younger, it was the means of respect for a superior officer that had been hammered into him over the years.

She bent down toward his ear with a wry smile, "Sergeant, while I appreciate the respect you show by addressing me in a manner commensurate with our rank differences, believe me, if anyone here is deserving of respect it is you Marines. The sacrifices you make for your country are more deserving of my respect that the number of bars on your sleeve or stars on your collar. You can call me Lieutenant, you can call Baker or even Jenny, but please don't call me Ma'am, she winked at him as she backed away.

Chuck gave a small nod, "Yes...Lieutenant," he replied with a small grin. Jenny just shook her head and rolled her eyes as she left the room. The two men were now alone, Morgan plopping down in the chair beside the bed.

"Hey Morg, I got a weird question for you. Were uh...were you ….holding my hand at some point while I was sleeping?" Chuck asked with some hesitation, fearing the answer to the question. Morgan gave a chuckle.

"No Buddy. Not me. But uh...there was someone sitting in that chair for a number of hours holding your hand. In fact, they left something for you," Morgan declared as he pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Chuck. Chuck gave him a quizzical look as he clumsily tried to unfold it with one hand. Morgan gave some aid, smoothing the paper out a little and handing it back.

_Chuck,_

_I am so sorry that I have to leave to go back to Washington for work. I wish I could have had a chance to talk with you when you woke up, but that was not in the cards unfortunately. They tell me that you are going to Walter Reed. Once you are settled, I promise that I will come and visit so we can talk. If you still want to that is. Call or text me any time._

_Sarah_

_202-555-8461_

"So, she was ..she was here?" Chuck asked in disbelief.

"Yep. She sat in this very seat, just holding your hand until eventually she fell asleep with her head on your guys hands. It was pretty cute actually," Morgan mused. "They made her go back to DC with Whitacre. She made me promise under penalty to death to give you that note. For someone so gorgeous, she can be damn scary man." Morgan shivered a little at the recollection.

Chuck wasn't sure what to think of this development. He didn't want to get his hopes up. She probably felt she needed to explain things since he had stumbled back into her life. Like maybe she owed him something for their rescue efforts. She seemed to be doing pretty well for herself , working for the State Department and all. Maybe that was part of that 'life plan' of hers. Whatever that plan was, Chuck clearly didn't seem to fit into it. Still, seeing her again, even in the less than ideal circumstances, had made his heart soar. Those gorgeous blue eyes, her infectious smile, they still profoundly affected him. He just needed to reign in these thoughts. They would do him no good. He would just end up in the same situation he was in when she left the first time. He thought for the briefest of moments against calling her. Just let her off the hook. She didn't need to explain her choices to him. He had no claim on her and she wanted no claim over him. He had just misinterpreted the situation, let his personal feelings cloud his objectivity. But maybe, she needed the closure, to get some burden off her chest; wipe the red from her ledger. He could at least be a friend and do her that kindness. Even if she couldn't be happy with him, Chuck still wanted her to be happy. When he got settled, he would call.

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The past two days had been brutal. She had repeated her story, in vivid detail, to what seemed like a dozen different groups of government officials and military brass. The same questions, over and over. The same was true for the other survivors as well. The day was nearly over when a young man approached her.

"Excuse me, Ms. Walker. You have one more briefing for the day. If you'll just follow me, please?" The man was very cordial and while she had more than her fill of meetings she figured what was one more. She just nodded and motioned for him to lead the way. They headed down a maze of corridors to a small meeting room. He showed her to a seat and then left, closing the door behind him. The room was rather small, a long narrow conference table offering seating for 8 people at most, though she was the only one here currently. She waited for what seemed like forever, drumming her fingers on the table. The door opened abruptly and a short, petite woman with her red hair pulled into a tight bun strode into the room, taking a seat at the head of the table. She seemed quite the no-nonsense kind of woman with a scowl etched into her face. Sarah sat quietly, waiting for the woman to start berating her for something. Seemingly out of nowhere a husky voice sounded from the doorway.

"Hello Walker," a tall, broad chested man walked into the room holding several folders. His chiseled jaw and strong features were accompanied by a knowing smirk. Sarah was taken aback at the recognition.

"Major Casey? Wow, it's..it's good to see you again. It's been a long time." Sarah stated, clearly surprised.

"Major, you know Miss Walker?" the short woman question.

"Yes, General. She was one of my students when I was temporarily assigned as weapons instructor at the FBI Academy some years ago. One of the best I'd seen from the civilian ranks. She had a natural affinity." Casey just smile and gave a small grunt.

"Interesting. Well, perhaps I should let you begin then, Major," the General raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, yes Ma'am. Walker, this is General Diane Beckman, Director of the NSA. We have some things to discuss." As he continued he pulled a small device out of his jacket pocket and placed it on the table, turning it on, a green light appearing. Her curiosity was peaked but she quickly returned her attention to the Major. He placed some manila file folders on the table, clearly dossiers on people. He opened on and slid it to her. "Do you recognize this man?" the Major inquired.

"Um.. Yeah. That's Rich Wagner. He was one of the security detail for Secretary Whitacre," Sarah offered.

"What can you tell us about him?" Casey continued.

"Well we talked briefly before I got on the plane. We had been in the FBI Academy together. I had hardly seen or heard from him since then. He indicated that an old Army buddy had turned him onto the security job and he had been doing it for a year or more. He just asked what I had been up to since Quantico, just small talk. We didn't really talk on the plane ride or during the events in Brazil. After the crash, he had stayed in the plane and confronted some of the militia after we were escorted out. I couldn't hear what they were saying over the men that were yelling at us. Then I heard three gunshots before the remainder of the men came out of the plane, without Rich," Sarah finished looking between Casey and the General. Casey gave the General a look and she returned a nod.

"Walker, we suspect that this man was involved in orchestrating the sabotage of the Secretary's plane and ultimately the crash," Casey confessed.

"What?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"We believe that he had been in contact with parties in Venezuela that wished to abduct Secretary Whitacre and ...make an example of him. We have reason to believe that there were other parties involved as well. Possibly within other government agencies. There have been a number of similar events that seemed unrelated until we looked into Wagner further. We uncovered evidence of his involvement in one other 'event' that occurred here in the States." Casey tossed one of the other file folders on the table in front of her. She opened the file and as she leafed through some of the pages and photos her eyes grew as wide as saucers, her mouth agape. "Does Tallahassee ring any bells?" he asked with gruff sarcasm.

"You mean…" Sarah trailed off, still in shock.

Casey just grunted, "Your partner at the time, Shaw, we believe that he and Wagner were working together with the arms traffickers that you were attempting to bust. They wanted to earn some brownie points with their new benefactors so they offered you up as a 'token', since you had been such a torn in their side. All we have is circumstantial, but my gut tells me that Shaw is dirty and worse, there is likely someone above him covering up for him."

"That son of a bitch!" Sarah exclaimed and then quickly realized who was in the room with them. "Uh...excuse me General. My apologies." Sarah blushed with a hint of embarrassment.

The older woman gave a brief chuckle, "I had more colorful words than that when I found out, so no apologies necessary, Miss Walker," the General replied.

"I'm a little confused. While I appreciate having a little more clarity on the Tallahassee incident, I'm more than a little confused as to why you are telling me all this. What is it that you need from me?" Sarah looked perplexed. Casey looked at the General again, and she once more nodded her approval.

"Walker, we have reason to believe that multiple agencies in the government have been compromised. Double agents in the FBI, DEA, CIA, and even the NSA," Casey growls. "We need to find who is behind these events and what there agenda might be. We need agents that we can trust, ones we know that are not compromised. The General has asked me to come up with a list of who I thought would be good candidates. You made my short list," Casey gave a wry smile.

"But I'm...I'm not with the Bureau any more Casey. I'm just a translator. What good could I possibly be to you guys?" Sarah questioned, disbelief in her tone.

"Despite being with the feeb, you were a damn good agent. Your investigative skills, dogged determination and your reputation of being a general badass got you on the list. Reading your file, knowing the person you are and knowing you have skin in the game, that puts you near the top of the short list of people I trust." Casey was usually a man of few words and never gave empty compliments. To convey his trust of her was definitely an honor. This kind of work was what she had always wanted. Doing some that mattered, making a difference. She was a little apprehensive about working with others again, but she trusted Casey. Knowing too that what had happened to her was not simply due to an incomponent partner, gave her some comfort. Though it also further stoked the fires of her anger toward the people responsible.

"I'm honored, Casey. So, what uh...what will I be doing exactly?" Sarah asked with some apprehension.

This time the General spoke up, "We are forming a team of smart, resourceful and talented people who are largely off the radar of these double agents. You will become a NSA agent but will be listed as a foreign language analyst, to keep our targets in the dark. Major Casey here will be your team lead and he will take orders directly from me. If they accept, the others will join you. We have a safe house here in DC that you will work out of for now until we get some leads."

"I'm not certified any longer. I haven't used a gun in a while and I haven't done much combat training since the uh…'incident' and my rehab," Sarah confessed with some apprehension.

"I'm certain that Major Casey will be more than happy to help you get back in the game, as it were. Plus we are still in the planning and information gathering stages. That will give you some time to get back up to speed," the older woman replied.

"Besides, at least one of our other potential recruits is…'indisposed' at the moment and will be joining us later. And just so I'm clear, this is all beyond NTK. You don't discuss this with anyone beyond the two of us, for now. Not your friends, your boyfriend or husband or whatever. Is that clear?" Casey furrowed his brow looking sternly at Sarah.

"Understood, Casey. It won't be a problem," she nodded.

"Good. I'll be in touch to schedule some practice sessions. Go home, get some rest. You're gonna need it." Casey smirked as he collected his documents. Sarah shook the hands of both Casey and General Beckman before departing. She collected her cellphone and on the way out to the parking garage she turned it back on and noticed she had a missed call and a voicemail message from a number she didn't recognize. As she walked she played it back.

" Um...Hi, Sarah. This is Chuck...uh..Chuck Bartowski. I uh….I got your note. Thanks for that, by the way. Ummm, well I'm at uh… Walter Reed now. Room….4..2..37. If uh...if you're not too busy, you could stop by or something. I'm uh...n-not really going anywhere soon, so you can stop any time. Or….or not if that's what you want. No pressure. Whatever works best for you. I uh..I hope I'll see you though. Alright. Well, Goodbye."

That message was left earlier in the morning so it had been a number of hours since then. She picked up the pace to a brisk walk. She still had time before visiting hours would be over. She could see him today.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sarah got off the elevator, her palms were sweating and her heart was racing a little. She had tried to rehearse what she would say to him countless times, but she could never find the right words. The butterflies in her stomach were working overtime as she slowly approached his room. She could see that the door was open so she stopped just outside, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself; find her center. She put on a smile and walked into the room. The scene before her caused her heart to drop as a sickening feeling washed over her. She saw Chuck laying in bed, looking a little dreamy as if fighting sleep. A contented smile spread across his face. Leaning over him was a well dressed women, long wavy brunette hair. Her left hand, resting on Chuck's chest, was adorned with a large, magnificent diamond wedding ring. The woman was leaning in giving him a kiss on the cheek and uttered 'Love you' as she pulled away, an affectionate smile painted across her face. Sarah gasped, covering her mouth trying to mask it, fighting back the tears attempting to force their way out. Had her fear become reality? Chuck had moved on and married. She could feel her world starting to crumble around her. Apparently she did not conceal her surprise well as the brunette heard and turned toward her. She had a puzzled look on her face as she started toward Sarah.

"Can I help you?" As the woman drew closer she offered her hand to Sarah, who was rooted in place. "I'm Dr. Bartowski , and you are?" Sarah instinctively took the woman's hand and tried to reply but her emotions were getting the better of her.

"I...I uh..I..I'm so sorry...I...I didn't…" Sarah began to shake her head as the tears began to let loose. The brunette looked perplexed at the blonde woman's reaction, then looked back at Chuck and back to the crying woman in front of her. Then the look of confusion morphed into a smile of understanding. Sarah tried to escape the woman's grip to flee the room but the doctor would not relent.

"Oh! You must be Sarah." The declaration gave Sarah a moment of pause in her escape attempt. She turned to look at the brunette in bewilderment and gave a small nod, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, Sweetie", she exclaimed, a pitying look on her face, and pulled Sarah into a powerful hug. Sarah could do nothing but stand in shock at what was happening. Had Chuck told his wife about her? And why was she hugging her? The only explanation was that she had finally had a psychotic break or something. Nothing made sense anymore. She then heard someone clear their throat across the room.

"I see you've met Sarah. Sarah…" Chuck grunted and grimaced as he tried to sit up a little. "This is my sister, Ellie. Ellie, this is Sarah Walker."

"S-Sister? But...but the...and the…" Sarah pointed at the ring on the woman's hand and then to the woman herself and to Chuck. She was clearly deep in a state of confusion. Ellie looked at where Sarah was pointing and thought for a moment trying to decipher the ramblings of this poor woman. Then a moment of clarity.

"Oh. I get it. The ring? Dr. Bartowski?" Ellie began to laugh, unable to control herself. "I'm...I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh." She was eventually able to regain some control and continued. "Yes, I am married, but I kept my maiden name since I have professional publications under that name. I'm so sorry you thought...Wow. That MUST have been a shock to see huh. Please, come in and sit." The realization now hitting Sarah, she was both incredibly relieved and mortified at the same time, covering her face with both hands, trying to hide the embarrassment. "Oh, Sweetie. . You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Come on. Sit. Please," Ellie implored as she place a hand on Sarah's back and another on her arm to guide her.

Sarah sat down and wiped her cheeks, letting out a huge sigh of exasperation, "I'm so sorry. I feel so stupid," she confessed, shaking her head at herself. Chuck reached a hand over and placed it on her forearm.

"Hey. You have nothing to be sorry about. OK? I'm really glad you came," Chuck offered with sincerity. She gave a tight smile and nodded.

"I'm gonna go grab some coffee and let you guys talk for a bit. Can I get you anything?" Ellie inquired as she headed toward the door. Both declined and she waved her goodbye, pulling the door closed behind her.

"So...you made it. Thanks … thanks for coming. I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience." Chuck was trying make small talk and failing.

"Chuck. Look. I...I know I owe you an explanation-" she tried to start but was interrupted by Chuck.

"Sarah. No. You… you don't owe me anything. You made it clear from the beginning what your expectations were. It's my fault that I wanted to alter our deal. So, that's on me," Chuck argued.

Sarah furrowed her brow, "Chuck, stop trying to defend me. What I did...it was...unforgivable and cowardly." She held her finger up to stop him from interjecting. She fidgeted with her hands in her lap as she continued. "I had reasons for leaving but in hindsight they were all selfish or misguided. Please just let me get this all out before you comment OK?" Chuck took a moment but nodded in agreement. "Thank you." She blew out a long breath to collect her courage. "Chuck I had this plan for my life. These things I wanted to accomplish, goals to achieve. I had a very single-minded determination to reach these goals. I couldn't have detours or distractions to pull me off course. It may sound a little obsessive, but I had my reasons. I was well on my way down that right path when I ran into a huge obstacle. You." Sarah briefly looked up to Chuck and then back to her lap. " The night we met, I had graduated college and was scheduled to head for Quantico to the FBI Academy. Everything was going according to plan until you sat down at my table. I don't want you to have any misunderstandings. The time we spent together was… some of the happiest of my life. Truthfully. The more I got to know you the harder it would be to leave you. By similar logic, I thought that the less you knew about me, the easier it would be for you to move on. I knew how I felt about you and I didn't want that for you when we parted. So in my own, misguided way I was trying to protect you. I was afraid that I would not be able to resist you. If you had asked me to go with you, I knew I couldn't trust myself to stick to my plan. So I was also protecting me from myself. Lastly, your story about your parents and your experiences in the Marines really got to me. The thought that you could be taken from me at any moment and I may never know what happened scared me to death. I...I knew I wouldn't be strong enough to deal with that. So I opted to distance myself from you. To… protect my heart." The tears were freely flowing down her cheeks, her eyes clenched shut.

"Oh God, Sarah," Chuck whispered.

Sarah just waved him off, trying to continue, "Leaving like I did was one of the worst mistakes of my life, Chuck. I have regretted it ever since, but I still hung on to the belief that it was the right thing to do. I went down my path, became an FBI Special Agent. Then something happened and I was…. injured. The person who was supposed to have my back didn't. I went to rehab and counseling and got better. I just couldn't trust anymore, so I left the FBI and went to my current job. Then that eventually brought me full circle back to you. Like the fates were smiling on me." This brought a smile to Chuck's face but he just continued to listen. "It gave me hope that maybe I could have a chance to do things over. Maybe try to make amends. But then...my worst fear had become reality. I thought I had lost you," Sarah choked out, covering her mouth. She took a few shaky breaths to try to collect herself. "It was like...like the fates only brought you to me so that I could see my worst fears realized, despite how hard I tried to escape it. That was when I knew. I knew that even if I were to lose you forever, I would always have our time together and nothing could take that from me. Having that time with you was so much better than if I had never had it at all. I had thrown away such a precious gift, the time we could have had up to now. All because I was weak and afraid. God, I am so, so sorry Chuck. I don't deserve a second chance, but I hope that one day you might find it in your heart to forgive me." Sarah could not look at Chuck. The shame of her actions and heartache she had inflicted and Chuck and herself were too strong. She was barely holding it together now, the tears aside.

Chuck was quiet for a long moment, a perceived eternity. Seeing the nearly broken woman before him made his heart ache. The woman that he had cared so strongly for, still cared strongly for, to see this strong, confident woman reduced to this was almost more than he could take. He cleared his throat, hoping to loosen the tightness there. "Sarah. It's no secret that I was hurt. I thought that you at least cared for me a little bit. I wondered what I had done to make you so angry with me. What I had done to drive you away. Was I not enough? Had I been living in a fantasy, not seeing the signs…" Chuck trailed off. Sarah still couldn't look at him but she was vehemently shaking her head no, her lips quivering as tears still streamed down her cheeks. "Sarah, I have heard what you've said and I accept your explanation. I believe that you thought what you were doing was right. I forgive you Sarah, for all of it. We have both suffered enough over this, so please accept my forgiveness but more importantly, I want you to forgive yourself. Will you please do that?" Chuck pleaded with her.

"I'll...I'll try, Chuck. Thank you. Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me," Sarah's voice quivering.

"You're welcome. Sarah, I'm ..I'm sorry but...things can't go back to the way they were between us. We have both changed and a lot of time has passed. We will never be what we were. I hope you understand," Chuck spoke with such compassion. Sarah turned her head away, blocking her eyes with the back of her fist. She began to sob harder, her whole body shaking. After a moment, she nodded her head, acknowledging his words, but the crying didn't stop.

"Sarah, please. Please look at me," Chuck pleaded, tears in his eyes. Sarah slowly turned to him, pursing her lips to try in vain to stifle her sobs. She finally met his gaze and something in the deep, chocolate pools warmed her, comforted her. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly as he reached out and took her hand. "Sarah… we can't go back to the way things were because we are different people with different life experiences and maybe even different goals... But how about I make you a deal?" Sarah's eyes grew wide as she gasped. "What do you say we start over? Get to know each other, the new us. But this time… this time I'd like there to be strings involved. I want commitments and promises. I want plans. Plans that include each other. What do you say Sarah? Is that something you could agree to?" Chuck looked deep into her shimmering, sapphire eyes, hope in his voice. Sarah's voice broke as a heavy sob escaped. She leapt from the chair, grabbing him on either side of his face and crashing her lips into his. Tears still rolling down her face and her body bouncing as she sobbed. Slowly the sobbing eased and the kiss softened. After a long minute, their lips gently parting, they pressed their foreheads together, holding this pose while they caught their breathe. Sarah pulled away just enough to look into his eyes. Chuck was first to break the silence, "So...that's a firm 'maybe'?" a wry smile forming on his face.

A stifled snort escaped Sarah as she was completely taken off guard. She silently chuckled and shook her head. She stared deep in his eyes, "God I've missed you," she breathed.

Returning her gaze, the look of complete adoration consumed him. Caressing her cheek, wiping away her tears, "I've missed you. So much. Will you stay for a while?" Chuck inquired with a hopeful tone.

Sarah sniffled but a smile grew across her face. "Just try to get me to leave, Buster. Just you try."

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A/N2: OK. That was a long one. Reviews and PMs are all welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading. See you again Chapter 6


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Welcome to Chapter 6. The saga continues. When last we left our friends, Sarah has a new job she can't talk about ,Chuck and Sarah had a tearful reunion, signifying a new beginning for them. Is secrecy a great way to start off a new, fragile relationship? Let's see shall we?

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

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Chapter 6

It had been a week since Sarah's first visit and their tearful reunion. She had visited him most every day, and when she couldn't come to visit, they talked on the phone for hours. She would push him around the hospital in a wheelchair, where they would talk, joke and laugh, even having a "date night" in the hospital cafeteria. They talked about their likes and dislikes, discussed their views on movies, music and books, even daring to venture into the forbidden realm of political, religious and philosophical discussions. They found they agreed on a great many things, and even those things they didn't, they could appreciate the other's point of view. They seemed to talk about anything and everything, well….almost everything. Neither seemed to want to talk about their family, work or their past. That didn't seem to stop Ellie, however.

Beyond their initial, somewhat embarrassing first meeting, Ellie had come to visit when Sarah was there on several occasions. Ellie took great joy in revealing far more of Chuck's past than he cared to share. It was done in the vain of embarrassing Chuck, but also she wanted to showcase what a sweet and wonderful person she thought Chuck was, even at a young age. Sarah laughed along with Ellie, at Chuck's expense of course, but she was all too happy to make it up to him with a knowing smile and impassioned kiss. When Ellie watched Chuck and Sarah together, her heart leapt, overjoyed that her brother had finally found someone. But not just a 'someone' but it seemed like "THE" someone. She tried not to interfere, but she wanted so badly to squeal and hug the two of them. When she finally had to travel back to L.A., she knew she was leaving her little brother in good hands.

Into week two, Chuck was well into physical therapy, even making attempts to walk. It was difficult with his left shoulder being in worse shape than his left leg, he could not use that arm to steady himself, in the beginning. However, with all of the other exercises he was quickly regaining his strength. Chuck had two powerful tools to aid in his recovery: determination and motivation. Chuck had tremendous determination, pushing himself hard to improve. Laying in a hospital bed was not getting him back in the field, out into the world. It also put a damper on his relationship with Sarah. He wanted so badly to walk with her, dance with her or just hold her, as well as a myriad of other 'activities' that came to mind. That is where motivation came into play. Sarah Walker, just in and of herself, was one hell of a motivation. All of these things pushed Chuck to go a little further, lift a little more and push a little harder. His physical therapist and even Sarah urged him to slow down and not push himself so hard. Chuck appreciated their concern, but he knew his body. He had put his body through far worse in his years training in the Marines. He had met his breaking point a number of times, but learned to power through it. By the end of week two in the hospital, he had gained considerable movement in his left shoulder and could walk for short distances unaided. He was finally in a position to start talking about leaving the hospital and going into outpatient therapy. The problem was, where would be go? Back to Camp Pendleton, with the whole of the country between he and Sarah? Even with that he could be deployed all over the world. The thought of that caused a knot in his stomach. He had been away from her for so long, he could not imagine being away from her any longer. But what were his choices. He opened his laptop, which Ellie was nice enough to bring, and began researching his options.

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"That's a pretty good grouping, Walker. Really good actually. You'll breeze through recertification. We've got you setup with a private room, that way if we have to conference call, you have someplace to go. You'll spend the next couple days here doing paperwork, training and recertifying. It will go along way toward solidifying your new job as an analyst. Beckman has appointed a 'liaison' to make sure everything goes smoothly, head off any problems that may arise, people asking any questions. Beckman also has some meetings planned for you. She'll summon you when she needs you. Until then, welcome to Fort Meade," Casey exclaims as he gestures around. Sarah gives a weak smile and nods. Casey can see something is bothering her but inquiring about it could get well into 'lady feelings' territory. Sensing he may not have a choice with this team, he sighs, "Alright. What's eatin' you Walker?"

Sarah, taken aback by Casey's question, takes a moment to respond, "I-I'm not sure what you mean, Major."

"This whole 'someone kicked my dog' thing you got goin' on here," Casey said, gesturing in Sarah's direction.

Sarah blushed and directed her eyes to her shoes for a moment before bringing her gaze back to Casey, "I'm sorry Major. I had originally made other plans before this was scheduled. I'm disappointed but I know that what we're doing here is important. I won't let it interfere. You have my word," Sarah stood tall, almost at attention. Though she'd never been in the military, Casey's presence almost commanded that sort of respect. Her posture didn't go unnoticed and it garnered a grunt and a wry smile from Casey.

"At ease, Walker. I appreciate your commitment. Also, 'Casey' will do in these less formal settings. I think we've known each other long enough. We're all going to have to make some sacrifices, Walker. It's the nature of our business. But between you, me and this shooting bench, I'm not completely unsympathetic. This job can often be lonely and thankless. That doesn't mean that we can't have relationships, regardless of what people try to tell you. You live your whole life as a robot, you will burn yourself out and be good to nobody. I won't pretend it's easy, but some things are worth it. Just somethin' to think about." Casey was quiet for a moment then turned to leave. He stopped abruptly and called over his shoulder, "You ever mention this conversation to another soul…" a scowl painted across his angular face.

Sarah raised her hands in surrender, "What conversation Maj- ...uh Casey?" she questioned, trying to hold back her grin. Casey just eyed her, grunted and gave an approving nod.

"See you next week Walker," he bellowed over his shoulder as he left the room. Sarah wasn't quite sure what to make of Casey's little speech but it reminded her of some of the talks they had when she was at Quantico. Casey had pulled her aside a few times in secret, clearly sensing her struggling under the enormous pressure she was putting herself under. While a little gruff, he was great at helping her put things into perspective. She respected him and valued his opinion.

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A couple hours after leaving Sarah, Casey was summoned to General Beckman's office and she did not seem pleased. He waited outside her office until her assistant, James, gave him the all clear to enter. He took a deep breath to prepare himself and entered, closing the door behind him. In the large office, Beckman was sitting behind her immense oak desk. It was so large in comparison to her petite frame he imagined that her feet probably didn't touch the floor. He filed that thought away for now. Seated in chairs in front of Beckman's desk were a dark haired man and woman.

"Major Casey, glad you could join us. I'd like to skip the pleasantries and get right to it. It seems that in the 'spirit of interagency cooperation'," Beckman actually provided the air quotes her tone made clear, "DNI Cavanaugh has seen fit to expand our little team. I'm sure no shortage of complaining from said agencies was involved, but nonetheless, three new agents have been appointed. Major, may I introduce you to your newest team members, Agent Bryce Larkin and Agent Zondra Rizzo of the CIA." Both stood and turned to Casey. Zondra was the first to extend her hand and greeted the tall man.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Major. Your reputation precedes you. I look forward to working with you," Zondra stated respectfully with a smile. Casey accepted the hand shake and nodded with a grunt of acknowledgement.

Bryce Larkin brandished a million dollar, smarmy smile that immediately rubbed Casey the wrong way. He extended his hand to Casey with a little more familiarity than the situation called for.

"Hey, big guy. Great to meet you," Bryce said, oozing with false sincerity and a blatant lack of respect. Casey grunted in response, and with furrowed brow, he took Bryce's hand and people in the room could hear the sound of joints cracking like bubble wrap. The expression on Bryce's face changed slightly and was clear he was trying to mask his pain while maintaining his smile.

"You will address me as 'Major Casey', _Agent _Larkin," Casey practically spat the word 'agent', the disdain seeping from every pore. Holding the death grip for a moment longer, Bryce nodded emphatically, causing Casey to release his grip. The General, taking great joy in watching the interaction, cleared her throat to bring things back to order.

"Major, I would like your entire team to live out of the safe house. I think it will be imperative to build a strong team dynamic, not to mention it is a secure environment for you all to work and plan. They can assume any cover jobs as needed, but they will spend the rest of their time at the safe house. Is that clear?" Beckman looked between the three agents.

"Yes, Ma'am," Casey growled, his displeasure at this painfully evident. The other two nodded their understanding.

"Good. Major I want you to assemble your entire team and take them to the safe house tomorrow at 0900-" The General was interrupted by a buzz on her intercom. Rolling her eyes, she held her finger up, gesturing to wait and picked up the phone. "Yes, James?" the General was silent for a moment then sighed, "Very well, send her in." Beckmen replied and hung up her phone. "Well, it looks like someone decided to show up after all," Beckman raised an eyebrow and waited for the door to open. When it finally did, the first thing through were a set of long, shapely legs and a short skirt, followed by the rest of the five foot nine, auburn haired beauty that sauntered into the room, a wry smile across her face. Casey was watching the faces of the two CIA agents, rather than the door. He clearly saw the lustful, ogling eyes of Bryce checking out the person that entered the room. Zondra's expression was one of shock and excitement. That got Casey very curious. He started to turn toward the door as Beckman spoke.

"Team, this is Agent Carina Miller of the DEA and will be joining you, also as part of the 'interagency cooperation'," Beckman remarked.

Casey stood in shock, eyes wide as saucers. Carina ambled up to Casey with the look of a predator ready to pounce on her prey. She offered her hand to him, palm-side down, looking up at him through her lashes, "Hello Major." She spoken the word 'Major' as if it were a dirty secret. "So nice to see you again," Carina offered as a wicked smile became etched across her face. Casey took her hand but seemed to be speechless for a moment.

Finally able to reign in his thoughts, the feeling of dread hit him, "Christ! Miller? Really?"

"Oh, come now, Casey. Is that anyway to great an old...colleague?" Carina uttered in mock offense.

"I take it you two are already acquainted?" Beckmen inquired, trying to hold back a smirk at watching the discomfort in Casey's face.

"Oh, yes, General. Multiple times," Carina placing emphasis on the 'multiple'. Casey choked and tried to play it off as a cough.

"General, you were saying before we were interrupted," Casey rushed out, trying desperately to change the topic. The General sensing the tension decided to move to safer topics.

"Right, Major. As I was saying, I want you to pack your things and assemble your entire team tomorrow at 0900 and take them to the safe house. Give them the nickel tour and then we will have a conference call at 1000. Is that clear?" Beckman questioned. Everyone parroted their acquiescence, except Carina of course.

"Ooo. A sleepover. How exciting!" Carina mused. Casey just rolled his eyes and groaned. The General dismissed them all and once they were outside of Beckman's office suite, Zondra and Carina squealed and hugged each other, practically jumping up and down. The two were talking over one another, so it was nearly impossible to determine what they were saying. Finally they calmed down a little and Zondra made introductions.

"Carina, this is my partner Bryce Larkin. Bryce, this is my friend and college roommate, Carina Miller." Bryce took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it.

"It's a pleasure," Bryce confessed with his suave, debonair charms.

Carina knowingly smirked at him, "I'm sure it is," Carina withdrew her hand and walked down the hall with Zondra, not looking back. Bryce could hear a snort come from behind him. He turned to see Casey standing there, stone-faced and unmoving. Bryce wisely chose not to pursue it and left as well.

Casey pulled out his phone, dialed and waited. "Walker, it's Casey. Change of plans. Meet me in the lobby of the NSA headquarters at 0900 tomorrow. Pack your stuff, you're moving to a new facility. This time it may be for a while."

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Sarah went to her private room and crashed onto the bed. She was feeling exasperated and could really use to hear from Chuck so she pulled out her phone and called him. She needed to give him the unfortunate news that she was not going to be able to make it in to see him for a while. After a couple of rings he picked up, "Hello Gorgeous," Chuck exclaimed.

A smile broke out on Sarah's face, "Hey ya, you big nerd. How you feelin?"

"I feel pretty damn good. I'm a little biased of course. OH! You mean the…" Chuck let out a snicker, seeming to be pretty pleased with himself.

"Oh my God! You're terrible," Sarah let out a chuckle. Then with a flirtatious tone in her voice she continued, "I'm sure you're not wrong, but you're still terrible." They both chuckled at that.

"God, I miss you," Chuck confessed with a sigh. "When are you gonna be able to come by again?" Chuck inquired, sounding hopeful.

"Chuck. I… There's something I need to tell you… I should have told you a while ago, but I didn't know how to approach the subject. I... I accepted a job offer...when I first got back to DC, before you got here. I'll be a language analyst with the NSA. I think it will be more rewarding and there is better chance for advancement. I think I will be doing things that make a difference, ya know? Unfortunately, I will still have to do some traveling and some training. I'm sorry but I have to be away for work for at least a few days, maybe more. I probably won't be back until next week maybe. I don't know for sure. I'm... I'm so sorry, Chuck. I was really, really looking forward to seeing you. I know I should have told you sooner and I'm sorry." Chuck can hear the distress and disappointment in her voice. He's sure that if he spoke his voice would give him away as well. He took a few seconds to collect himself, not wanting to make her feel worse by letting his frustration show..

"Hey. It's alright. I, of all people, understand what it's like to have to leave at the drop of a hat for your job. And your new job sounds great. Will you get to work out of Fort Meade, or are they shipping you to a listening post somewhere?" Chuck asks with more than a little apprehension.

"After some training I think I will be working out of Fort Meade mostly. Long term? I don't know. I'll just have to see where they put me. Chuck...I'm sorry I didn't talk with you about this before. I should have included you in the decision making process, but I didn't. I'm so sorry-" she tries to continue but is cut off.

"Hey. Hey. You have nothing to apologize for. A great career opportunity presented itself and you would have been a fool not to take it. I'm just glad I get to talk to you at least. You gonna be able to talk while you're gone?" Chuck was trying to sound as upbeat and positive as he could.

"I dunno. I really, really hope I can, but I just don't know...I really miss you too, you know? There's nothing better I can think of than crawling into that bed with you and snuggling up." She let out a contented sigh.

"Nothing huh? Nothing else coming to mind…?" Sarah could hear the teasing in his voice. He always seems to know how to make her feel better, make her laugh.

"Well...now that you mention it. There is ...ONE thing I can think of that I'd really, really love… to climb into that bed, toss those sheets to the floor and have your magic fingers… massage my feet. They are killin' me right now." Chuck burst out laughing and Sarah followed soon after. They talked for a while longer but Sarah had to cut the call short to get to her next meeting. Ending the call Sarah slumped further into her bed. She really hated hiding the truth from him, but she really had no choice in the matter. She wasn't sure what all this new job would entail, but what if she was putting herself in danger? What if something happened to her? Sarah recalled her fears for Chuck and his job, and as bad as they were she at least had known what dangers he would face. Chuck had no idea what she was doing. Didn't she owe it to him to allow him to have the same choices she had? To decide if he wanted to be part of that life, her life? He had said he wanted commitment and plans with her, hadn't he? Would that change if he knew the truth? Or worse yet, if he found she was lying to him and so soon after they had gotten together. She let out an exasperated sigh. This would have to be a topic for another day as she had to get to her next appointment.

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After hanging up with Sarah, Chuck went back to his research. He was investigating transfers to bases here on the east coast, such as Fort Meade, Quantico or maybe transfer to Recon battalion at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, but that would be a really long drive. The question was, did he want to do that work anymore. Work that would take him so far away from Sarah. What if he didn't re-up and went into the private sector, or went back to school? That would make his life more ...stable. He was reluctant to just hang it all up because...well because it was the one thing he was really good at. He knew he had been good with computers and electronics (still was) but was he good enough? Could he do that for a living? Before he enlisted he believed he could, but what about now? Was it too late for him? His deep concentration was interrupted by a knock at the door. Looking up from his laptop he sat in surprise.

"Major?" Chuck was finally able to get out. He set his laptop aside and began to try to stand to greet his superior properly.

"Bartowski. Sit down. You don't need to get up on my account," the older man grunted. "How you feelin'?"

"Pretty good, Casey. Gettin' around pretty well. How'd you know I was here? Wait...nevermind stupid question. It's your job to know these things." Casey just replied with a grunt. "Good to see ya. Didn't get to talk with you after...you know," Chuck's eyes shifted to the doorway and back to Casey. Casey followed the direction of his gaze and picked up on the hint. Casey closed the door and walked closer to the bed.

"That's kinda why I'm here," Casey confessed. Chuck just looked quizzically at Casey, waiting for him to continue. "We've been investigating the crash and have uncovered some things. What I'm about to tell you can't leave this room. That clear, Sergeant?" The fact that Casey referred to him by rank while in private clearly meant that things were serious.

"Understood," Chuck nodded in response. He sat up a little straighter as if preparing himself for what was about to be revealed. Casey took out a small device from his jacket pocket, flipped a small switch and placed it on Chuck's bedside table. Chuck eyed the device but said nothing.

"So, you recall the man on the plane that did not die of natural causes?" Chuck thought for a second and nodded his acknowledgement. "It seems that he had been in contact with the little band of miscreants you disposed of in the jungle. It is believed that he was brokering a sale or trade for the delivery of Secretary Whitacre to the Colectivos. From his demise, it appears the deal did not go in his favor. To make matters more interesting, we have reason to believe that there were others involved as well. Persons within our own government agencies. There have been a number of recent events that appeared unrelated, but following this man's trail we were able to tie him to another incident involving an FBI agent and some arms traffickers. Chuck, we have reason to believe that all of these events and more are all interrelated. There are double agents embedded within our intelligence and law enforcement agencies, maybe even beyond." Casey paused allowing this to sink in.

"Holy Shit, Casey. It's a conspiracy theorists wet dream. But, why tell me all this? You know as well or better than I that my team can't operate on US soil. What can I do to help?" Chuck inquires, a look of concern on his face. Casey grins and shakes his head at how predictable the kid was.

"Chuck, we don't know how deep this goes and we don't really know who we can trust. General Beckman has tasked me with putting together a team. A team of people I trust implicitly. This team will investigate and root out these double agents and work to determine their agenda. I want...no, I need you on this team Bartowski. I need someone I know will have my back when shit hits the fan. I've also seen how you work. The way you are able to analyse information, make connections and formulate strategies, it's legitimately impressive. Plus, how many jarheads you know been to Stanford to study computers? Your unique skills could really make this team. What do ya say?" Casey looked at Chuck with an eyebrow raised in question.

"Wow. Um...I mean I really want to help, but what about my current assignment? As it stands, I can't do much as just a Marine-"

"Right. You would be given the position as a entry level analyst in the NSA. This will be the cover that you can tell others if they press the issue, but you will need to fly under the radar." Casey explained.

"But…I...I thought all analysts had to have a college degree. I…" Chuck trailed off not really wanting to bring it up but Casey stepped in.

"Yeah. Yeah. And I'm sure you can think circles around most of those that do. Those that make the rules can break the rules, Chuck. Look … we can 'adjust' your records to include the appropriate requirements. If you want, you can look into online courses to finish your degree to make it legit if it bothers you that much." Chuck thought for a moment then nodded.

"Where uh...where would I be based out of?" Chuck inquired, apprehension clear in his voice.

Casey caught a glimpse of something but wasn't sure what to make of it. "Well, for now, we'll work out of Fort Meade. We're still doing a lot of information gathering and investigating. That will also give you a chance to work with our physical therapists to expedite getting you back into shape while we work on this other stuff. You will start working closely with the other team members. You will have to learn to trust each other, so we will be working on the team dynamic. Let's call them…'team building exercises'," Casey had a delighted smirk on his face as he thought of his plans for the team.

"Alright...so if I agree to this, where would I stay? I don't have a place here in DC and I can't stay here much longer. Second, what would I 'actually' be doing?" Chuck asked.

Casey dropped some papers on the bed, "Those are your discharge papers. We have a safehouse that we will be working out of for now. It has several bedrooms, so you'll stay there for now. Already have some of your basics moved there. As for the 'what', while you get back in shape, you'll be using that big brain of yours to comb through the data other analysts have collected for us. See what you can pull together." Casey folded his arms across his chest waiting for the next onslaught of questions.

"Wait. You already have my stuff there? But I haven't said if I accept yet," Chuck exclaimed indignantly.

Casey gave a grunt or was it a chuckle..maybe a gruckle? "You and I both know you were going to say 'Yes'. Besides, good ole Uncle Sam still owns your ass. So you'll go where they tell you. I just figured I wouldn't have to pull that trump card." Casey finished, looking amused. Chuck started to protest but realized that Casey was right on both accounts. His shoulders slumped in resignation.

"Alright. When do I leave?" Chuck inquired picking up his discharge papers and beginning to look them over.

"Right now Marine. Get your ass outta that bed and grab your shit. Let's go!" Chuck could tell his commanding tone was all in good fun.

"Oh. Yes 'Sir'," Chuck replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Casey growled at the 'Sir' comment more than the sarcasm. Chuck let out a chuckle and headed toward the small cabinet in the room to grab his clothes that Ellie had thought to bring for him.

"Hey. Don't I get a wheelchair ride or something?" Chuck asked, mildly disgruntled.

"Oh, sure! It's neato, with a little bell and streamers and Hello Kitty stickers…." Casey mused as he pushed Chuck into the hallway. "Move your ass ya Nancy. If your team heard you belly achin' about a damn wheelchair..." Casey just shook his head and was having a hard time keeping the grin off his face. He missed giving Chuck shit, mainly because he could give as good as he got.

"Fine Major. But you're giving me a piggyback ride if I get tired on the way," Chuck smirked over his shoulder.

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Chuck and Casey navigated a long winding drive down a wooded lane which opened to what, simply put, was a mansion which had the feel of a British estate. The enormous home had a large yard surrounding it, then was further surrounded by dense forest. A low whistle emanated from Chuck as the house came into view. To the casual observer all would seem quite benign. Chuck, however, had noticed quite a few sensors and cameras mounted on trees. He also noticed the row of circular plates on the drive just before it opened from the wooded lane; retractable barricade no doubt. This seemed to be quite lavish for a safe house. Perhaps we needed to meet some foreign dignitary first Chuck mused.

"Um..who exactly lives here?" Chuck inquired as he took in the surroundings.

"Well, you will in a few minutes numb-nuts. This is the safe house I was talking about," Casey grumbled.

"Casey, this is not a house. This is a damn mansion," Chuck exclaimed motioning to the large expanse of their horizon consumed by the structure.

"Yeah. Well, we 'acquired' this place from an individual that, shall we say, no longer had any use for it." The amused grin on Casey's face spoke volumes. "Since then we made some enhancements. Cameras, motion and thermal sensors surround the property, as I caught you noticing. Also the barricade you spotted. It has its own backup generator in case of power failure. The basement has a data center, command center and indoor firing range. There is a workout facility and a theatre room on the first floor. There are 6 bedrooms in the main house and two more in the guest house in the back, which also has its own bath and kitchen. The previous owner was quite the car collector. The house has an attached 3-car garage on either side of the house. Yeah...don't ask. Then there is a large 6-car garage behind the house. There are a number of vehicles parked in those that are at our disposal. Most belonged to the prior owner. Those I don't care so much about. The government vehicles, those you'd better not scratch. Get me Bartowski?" Casey glared at him.

"Oh come on! You can't still blame me for that? We were being chased and I had to drive in reverse down crowded streets, all the while you were exchanging gunfire with them. Of course it was bound to get a scratch or two." Chuck replied indignantly.

"I've seen vehicles come out of a car crushers that looked better than that hummer," Casey retorted.

"Hey. At least we made it to the extraction point with the cargo intact, right? Right?" Chuck raised an eyebrow waiting for Casey's reply. Casey pulled his Crown Vic into one of the attached garage bays and shut off the car. He looked at Chuck for a few seconds then a grin grew across his face as he let out a snort.

"That was a good time, wasn't it?" Casey mused. Then Chuck joined in as the two men chuckled over the shared memory. "Alright, kid. Let's get you settled." Casey and Chuck exited the car, Chuck getting his duffle from the back seat. As they walked into the house, Chuck tried to take it all in, getting the lay of the place, possible exits and points of entry as Casey gave him the tour. The laundry room they passed is larger than his college dorm room. The kitchen was enormous, stainless steel and granite everywhere. There was bar seating for six plus a full formal dining room. The living room had 60' vaulted ceilings with windows all the way up looking over the backyard pond, garden and forest. The theatre room was just that, a small theatre with raked seating and reclining chairs. The workout facility had tons of nautilus equipment, free weights and a huge mat in the center for floor exercises. A couple of heavy bags hung on the other side of the mats. Upstairs there were five bedrooms, a large shared bathroom with a walk-in shower and a soaking tub. The master suite was just ridiculous, to be quite honest. It had a deck outside the french doors. A separate study, his and her walk-in closets and a lavish master bath, complete with a separate water closet, steam shower, and a corner jacuzzi tub large enough for at least two.

"Holy Shit, Casey. This place it completely over the top. I don't even know what to do in a place like this. I'm afraid to touch anything." Chuck shook his head in disbelief as he looked on in awe.

"I'm sure you'll manage. Pick whatever room you want and drop off your stuff. Then we'll head to the basement." Casey walked to the hallway and waited. Chuck chose a bedroom in the hallway, one of the smaller ones but had a small balcony that looked over the back yard and was directly over the inground pool. That could offer an emergency exit if needed. When Chuck met up with Casey in the hallway, Casey had a knowing smirk on his face.

"Now what?" Chuck asked as he threw his hands in the air, mildly exasperated.

Casey just chuckled at him. "Why'd you pick that room? You could have had the master bedroom or any of the others, but you picked the smallest one. Why?"

'Well, that master bedroom is huge. I don't need all that space. I'm sure someone else could use it more than me. Plus this one has a much better emergency egress if I need to get out in a hurry and it's also closest to the stairs. This will likely be the first room people check if they make it to the second floor," Chuck shrugged, matter-of-factly. "So, go ahead. Let's hear it. How am I a moron?"

Casey shook his head with a small chuckle. "You're a moron but not because of the room choice. It's the room I would have picked too and for the same reasons. You're a moron because you think someone else deserves that big room more than you." Casey just left it at that and walked toward what looked like a hall closet. Opening the door it revealed an elevator big enough for two or three people. They got in and took it to the basement. When they opened the door, they were in a small hallway, a door on either side and one at the end. They approached the door on the right. Casey placed his hand on the scanner and held his eye steady for a retinal scan. The small screen displayed the acceptance of the credentials and unlocked the steel door. "This is the command center. We have four terminals here you can use along that wall, conference table and then two dedicated monitoring stations used for any analyst running an op from the Castle. Before you say anything, I didn't name this place. Through that door is the local data center. Door over there is to the kitchenette and bathroom." They left back to the hallway.

Across the hall was another security door. "OK Bartowski. You try this one, see if your credentials work yet." Casey pointed at the security panel. Chuck placed his right hand on the pad and looked into the retinal scanner. The screen turned green and the steel door unlocked. They walked in and the entire wall to the left was a cage holding all manner of firearms and ammunition. On the adjacent walls were five lockers on each side with benches. To the right were four shooting tables and benches. The shooting lanes were about 75 and looked to be covered with noise canceling material. "You have free reign in here. Use it as much as you want, just keep track of the ammo you use so we don't run out. You need to take a weapon, you check it out. SOP. Those lanes have noise canceling material to help keep the noise down inside and reduce the noise for the rest of the house. Don't shoot any long rifles down here obviously. We can go to Fort Meade if you feel the need to do that. I expect you to keep your skills sharp." Chuck walked over to the collection of guns and then looked back over his shoulder at Casey with a look of longing on his face. Casey snorted and just nodded his approval.

Chuck opened the cage and pulled a Glock 17, Sig Sauer P226 and a M45A1 along with their respective ammo. He setup each pistol on a shooting table and setup fresh targets on three lanes, each pistol sitting at its own lane. Check and Casey donned their ear protection. He ran all three silhouette targets out to 10 yards. Chuck started with the M45A1, the sidearm he carried throughout his career. He took a cleansing breath and emptied the magazine at a steady one shot per second or slightly faster. He then went down the line and repeated the process. The other pistols having much larger magazine capacity offered more opportunities to adjust his aim. When all three pistols were empty, he and Casey called the targets back, taking off their ear protection. The M45A1 had a center mass grouping of five rounds within a two inch diameter circle and two rounds overlapping at the center of the head. Casey looked at the target and with a raised eyebrow nodded approvingly. The Glock17 had a two inch diameter hole at center and likewise dead center of the head. Casey again gave an approving nod. Lastly the Sig P226, Casey's sidearm of choice. The results were quite similar to the Glock but the groupings were a little tighter. It may have been from practice.

"I can see why you like the Sig. It's a nice weapon. I assume I'm gonna have to carry now, at least if I have to go in the field. The 9mm is gonna be a lot easier to find than the .45ACP if I run low on ammo. One other one I'd like to test out." Chuck admired the details of the Sig for a moment then collected all of the guns and set them on the table for cleaning. From the armory, he pulled the newer Sig P320. He loaded the weapon and put up a new target and sent it out to the 10 yard mark.

Casey handed him a inside pants holster from their collection, "Let's see how you do in a real world scenario. One where you may not have time to line up your shots. Not to say you haven't had to deal with that, but it's different when you have to draw a concealed weapon." Chuck put the holster in the back of his pants and placed the pistol inside. They both donned their ear protection. Before Chuck approached the bench, Casey pulled one side of Chuck's ear protection away. "Show me a Mozambique Drill," Casey declared, replacing the ear protection. Chuck smirked and nodded. He approached the table and stood with his hands at his sides. Then in a fluid motion his right hand pulled the gun up to clear the holster and quickly swung forward and pushed out into a firing stance. Three shots rang out in very quick succession and the gun was returned to its holster almost as quickly. Chuck stepped back and let Casey retrieve the target. Casey chuckled, "Now you're just showin' off," Casey chided him, showing the target to Chuck. He had perfectly shot the 9 on either side of the center 'X' and placed a single shot perfectly in the middle of the target's forehead. Chuck only gave a wry smile and shrugged. "Alright. That'll do pig. That'll do," Casey retorted, shaking his head and threw the target away.

"Did I make the cut coach?" Chuck asked with a goofy grin. Chuck unloaded the pistols, and stopped to rotate his left shoulder, working out some stiffness. He put the unspent ammo away and started to get the gun cleaning kit from the labeled drawer.

"Just leave 'em kid. I'll be down here later. It'll give me something to do to clear my head," Casey interjected. Chuck paused and looked at Casey with a raised eyebrow. Casey just nodded. Chuck shrugged, closed the drawer and removed the magazines from all of the pistols and left the slide open. Chuck quickly swept up his spent brass from the floor and placed them in the designated container to be recycled. They left the room and entered back into the hallway. Looking to the far end of the hallway, Chuck pointed to the final door.

"What's behind door number three?" Chuck inquired.

"There are four holding cells, a small infirmary and then the utility room for all of the building mechanicals. Not much to look at. Let's head back up. KItchen is stocked, so you can get you something to eat. Just clean up after yourself." Casey took them into the control room and through another door that lead to a staircase and came out in the hall between the kitchen and laundry room. It blended in with the built-in cabinets on that wall, so it was nearly impossible to see if you weren't looking for it. Chuck was wincing a bit when they got to the top, favoring his left leg slightly, but he didn't say anything. Casey noticed but didn't make mention. Digging through the fridge and cupboards, Casey decided to grill some steaks on the back patio and Chuck microwaved some baking potatoes since they were too impatient to wait for them to back in the oven. They ate on the back patio, drinking some beers watching the afternoon Sun descend into the forest surrounding the property.

"Alright kid. I'm gonna spend some alone time in the armory. Then I'm gonna head out. I'll meet you in the command center at 1000 hours. We've got a conference with Beckman and some other team members." Casey gave him a quick pat on the right shoulder as he passed by. "Welcome aboard, Bartowski," Casey said over his shoulder before heading down the hidden staircase. Chuck finished cleaning up the kitchen and went upstairs to get ready for bed. This is the first day he had been out of the hospital and it took a lot out of him. As he was laying down in bed, he was looking at his phone, almost willing it to ring. It had only been since earlier today since he talked with her but he still missed her. He knew that she would call if she could, but he was starting to drift off and didn't want to miss her call. He opted to text her goodnight instead and hopefully he could talk with her tomorrow.

"_Had a long day, feeling kind of worn out. Going to sleep. Miss you. Have a good night. Talk tomorrow."_

He hit send and waited for a few minutes but eventually sleep won out.

Chuck woke at 6:00am as he usually did. He immediately recalled the text from last night and checked his phone. Sarah had replied later that night and Chuck was ecstatic.

"_So sorry Chuck. Long day here too. Got in late. I miss you. I have a meeting in the morning but I will try to call you after. XOXO"_

Chuck smiled upon reading the text. He wasn't sure how serious 'XOXO' was in their relationship dynamic, but it still put a smile on his face nonetheless. Chuck felt invigorated so decided to head to the work out room downstairs. He changed into a t-shirt and loose workout shorts and made his way to the gym. He spent about an hour and a half making it through his circuit of resistance training and stretching. He was getting stronger every day but it was tough work and he pushed himself hard. He straightened up the workout area and wiped down the equipment he used. Chuck took his sweat towel to the laundry room hamper and then headed to the kitchen. He brewed some coffee and made himself some eggs, toast and orange juice. On his phone, Chuck read through some news feeds and some Reddit communities he followed. It was getting close to 0900, so he cleaned up the kitchen and went upstairs to take a shower.

The walk-in shower was amazing. He couldn't remember ever having a more relaxing and satisfying shower. He worked his shoulder in the hot water, loosening it up some more after his workout this morning. Finally he reluctantly turned off the shower. He dried off, brushed his teeth and then loosely wrapped the towel around his waist. He swore he could hear voices but it was hard to tell over the vent fan in the bathroom. He turned off the fan and light and opened the door to head to his room to change. As he exited the bathroom, he practically crashed into group of people standing in the hallway just outside the door. He managed to keep hold of his towel and began to apologize when he came face to face with the most gorgeous, azure blue eyes. He froze, unable to speak for a moment. The others seemed to be in a similar state.

Finally he spoke, barely above a whisper, "Sarah?" He stood to his full height looking on in complete surprise. Then a chorus of four voices replied.

"Chuck?!"

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A/N2: To quote George Takei, "Oh My!" Indeed. Awkward? Four voices? I can't wait to find out what happens in Chapter 7! Oh..wait... Um.. PMs and reviews are always welcome. You to the wonder guest users out there, sign up for a free Fanfiction account so you can get notifications of updates and I can personally reply to your reviews and offer my thanks. Until next time.

JW

"


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Real life got in the way, then vacation and recovery from vacation. Plus there was so many great new fics and chapters submitted lately, I found myself doing more reading than writing. Anyway, without further ado, here is Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

* * *

Chapter 7

Sarah was a little apprehensive about moving to a new facility. What sort of facility, where it was and who else would be there were all a mystery. She was eager to get things moving. The sooner that the moving and the morning's meeting was over, the sooner she might be able to have some time to call and talk with Chuck. She was still kicking herself over not being able to talk to him yesterday and then missing his text last night, but she was swamped with training and testing. She smiled inwardly, recalling her reply text to him. The 'XOXO' had been an instinctual addition and only after staring at it after she sent it did it dawn on her. Was that too much, too soon? It wasn't an 'I love you' but did it have the same significance? The more she thought about it she realized she didn't care. She did love him and hopefully soon she could really tell him how she felt. She knew he cared for her but how much exactly was yet to be seen. She just knew that she couldn't tell him while he was still in a hospital bed or over the phone, which seemed to be the only way she was going to talk to him for a while. _Maybe this new job wasn't such a good idea._

Sitting on a bench in the main foyer of the NSA building, her small suitcase beside her, Sarah heard some people coming through the main entrance to the building, but she was too lost in her thoughts to pay them much mind. They were talking and laughing together until Sarah heard two gasps in quick succession. This was followed by a "Holy Shit!" that definitely sounded familiar. She looked up to see none other than Carina and Zondra, standing in the middle of the lobby, mouths agape. She was sure she had the same look of utter surprise. Carina and Zondra both dropped their bags and ran toward her. She immediately jumped up and closed the distance. The three women slammed together in a crushing group hug. They all talked over one and other and shared some tears at finally seeing their friends after so long apart.

Sarah pulled away, wiping a tear from her cheek, "Wh-what are you guys doing here?" she inquired, disbelief still evident in her voice.

Carina and Zondra glanced at each other and then Zondra replied, "We have a meeting here this morning. What uh...what are you doing here? I thought you were busy playing ventriloquist to Whitacre," Zondra added with a snicker.

"Right. I uh...I took a new job, actually. I work here now, as a...a language analyst." Sarah really hated to lie to her friends, although from the look between them there was something they were clearly hiding as well. Sarah knew that Zondra was a CIA agent and Carinia was in the DEA, so lies and half-truths were part of the uniform. Still, among friends it stung a little to lie and be lied to, even for good reason. Just then a man cleared his throat from behind them.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your lovely friend here?" spoke a well dressed, perfectly groomed and very handsome man. He was donning a megawatt smile but she could read this man like a book. He was so full of himself there was no room for dessert. Just something about him immediately rubbed her the wrong way a little. Her intuition seemed to be spot on by the eye rolls she caught from her friends.

"Sarah Walker, this is Bryce. Bryce Larkin. He's my... partner," Zondra confessed though it sounded reluctant. Sarah shook his hand and returned a small smile, but did not linger long. The pause in Zondra's introduction spoke volumes, though, which volumes were a bit uncertain. Sarah gave her a raised eyebrow and silently mouthed "partner?". Zondra immediately caught her question and needed to set the record straight. "Yes. Just partners. For the past six months or so. Oh. Speaking of 'partners' how is uh...you know?" Zondra offered a raised eyebrow of her own though it was quite clear what she was insinuating.

Sarah felt a little warmth creep up her neck and a smile form as she replied, "He's...he's good. Still in the hospital but recovering nicely." Sarah smiled just thinking about him.

"Oo. Too bad," Carina interjected with a mischievous lilt to her voice. Zondra and Sarah gave her a questioning glare. "I meant about still being in the hospital. Geez," raising her hands in surrender. "Although, there are certainly ways around that...limitation," Carina added, fraught with innuendo. Sarah and Zondra just shook their heads and rolled their eyes.

"I've missed you Carina," Sarah confessed, pulling her into a side hug. Bryce was about to interject into their conversation when a deep, commanding voice broke in.

"Good. I see you're getting to know each other," Casey stated as he looked over the group. They all looked at each other for a moment, perplexed and then back to Casey.

"W-Wait. Casey. You know them?" Sarah inquired, disbelief apparent in her tone as she pointed to the others.

"You know Major Casey?" Zondra asked, turning to Sarah, with just as much disbelief in her voice.

"Yes. You're all on the same team. Wait…. You mean...you already know each other?" Casey asked, a bit confused.

"Um..yeah. We three were college roommates," Sarah declared pointing between herself, Carina and Zondra.

Casey eyed all of them for a moment then grunted, "Grab your crap. There's a Suburban parked out front. Throw your stuff in the back and get in." Casey left them behind as he made his way to the SUV. The four just stood there and looked at each other for a second before they quickly grabbed their things and made for the Suburban.

On the ride there, the women made small talk off and on, but otherwise it was fairly quiet. Breaking that silence Sarah spoke up.

"Casey, how many other team members are there?" Sarah inquired.

"Right now, there is only one more. He's going to serve as your analyst for now. Your personal IT nerd. He'll run tech and comms for missions for the time being. He's already at the safe house, so you'll meet him when we get there." Bryce chimed in with his failed attempt at humor,

"Ooo. Our very own IT nerd. Does he do tricks? Ooo. Ooo. Let me guess the safe house is his Mom's place, since he can't leave her basement?" Bryce laughed quite freely at his own jokes. Casey just looked in the rearview mirror and gave an indecipherable grunt. Or was it a growl?

"Hey. A good analyst is hard to come by. They can really save your ass in a pinch," Zondra defended. Carina, Sarah and even Casey nodded at that.

"So is this guy any good? If we're supposed to be this 'great' team, shouldn't we have the best of the best?" Bryce argued, sounding rather full of himself.

"Let's just say he's one of the smartest people I've known. And don't let the look of him fool ya. Looks ain't everything," Casey declared. Just then they pulled out of the wooded lane and the house could be clearly seen now. "Annnd we're here," Casey stated. The exclamations of the passengers echoed through the SUV as he eventually pulled into one of the garage bays. They got out, grabbed their things and headed into the house. Once in the kitchen area a few low whistles could be heard as the team spread out to oglie over the kitchen and great room with its picturesque view of the back of the property. Sarah just turned in a slow circle trying to take it all in. The place was beautiful. If she had to be stuck some place, at least it would be enjoyable and with friends… mostly. Casey showed them around the rest of the first floor, namely the theatre room and workout room. Everyone, even Bryce seemed impressed.

"Alright, let's head up stairs and you can pick out your rooms." Casey escorted them up the grand staircase to the top landing. They started down the hallway looking in the first open door. The bed was made but there were clothes laid out so it seemed this one was occupied, likely by their analyst. They turned to continue down the hall when a door opened and a tall, naked man, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, nearly crashed into them. Sarah almost lost her balance, staggering back slightly. She began to stand up straight again, her field of view climbing up the still glistening body of the man before her. Her eyes scanned up his muscular stomach and chest. She caught a glimpse of a tattoo on his shoulder. That tattoo… and then both fear and excitement coursed through her body. Her eyes shot to his face and were quickly caught in his deep, chocolatey, brown eyes. It was him! But how?

"Sarah?" the man whispered in disbelief.

"Chuck?" Sarah exclaimed, clearly shocked as well. Her exclamation was parotted by three voices behind her. Chuck took her arms as if to help steady her to stand upright.

"What….what are you doing here?" He looked deep into her eyes, a smile growing across his face but still shrouded in bewilderment.

"I..um...what...what are YOU doing here? You...you were in the hospital...and…" She trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Well, he's looking pre-tty good from where I'm standin'," Carina interjected, a mischievous smirk plastered across her face. That garnered a chuckle from the others and a slight blush from Chuck and Sarah both.

"Christ! Put some goddamn clothes on, Bartowski. Nobody wants to see all that," Casey barked with just a hint of what might be teasing.

"Oh. I dunno about that…", "Let's not be too hasty...", came retorts from Carina and Zondra, talking over one another.

"Um..yeah...How about I put some clothes on," Chuck stammered pointing over his shoulder toward his room. Chuck drug his fingers down the length of Sarah's arms as he backed away, their fingers eventually touching and then parting. With that the door closed, leaving the hallway in silence.

"I feel like the fat kid getting picked last at kickball. Do all you damn people know each other?" Casey exclaimed in exasperation. Sarah could only chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

"What is he doing here? If Chuck is here, then who is your analyst?" Sarah questioned, looking at the other bedroom doors. Casey just rubbed the back of his head as he winced. Sarah got a look of shock on her face, "This? This is your analyst, Casey?" Sarah questioned, wide-eyed and pointing at Chuck's door. "I mean...him? An-an analyst?"

Casey just shrugged with a smirk. "Like I said, don't let the looks fool ya. And uh… sorry Walker. Didn't know you two were….'acquainted'," Casey remarked, including the air quotes for emphasis. Sarah's cheeks began to color.

"Acquainted? Yeah...they acquainted the hell out of each other like six years ago," Carina blurted out. Zondra punched Carina in the arm and growled at her. Carina just mimed "What?"

The expression on Casey's face showed he had reached an epiphany. "So you're…'Irvine' then. Wow... That makes a lot of sense now. Wow…" Casey trailed off, raising a questioning eyebrow at Sarah. At that moment Chuck stepped out of his room in a t-shirt with a floppy disk, cassette tape and VHS tape on it with the words 'Never Forget' below them. Coupled with his well worn jeans and a pair of black Chuck Taylors, he certainly looked the nerd part.

"Sooo...Wow. Um...this is a bit awkward," Chuck admitted.

"You think? Why aren't you in the hospital? And how is it that you seem to know everyone here," Sarah questioned, just short of accusatory.

Chuck cleared his throat, "Well, …"

"Oh, Chuck and I go way back, don't we Buddy? Freshman year at Stanford. Those were great times, huh? Chuck was always a great wingman," Bryce concluded with a smirk. It was hard to tell if there was any sincerity in his words.

Chuck just stared at Bryce for a moment and something seemed to pass between Chuck and Bryce. There was a hint of disdain in his voice but he tried to not let it show. "Yeah. We go way back," Chuck replied flatty. Bryce smirked and Chuck directed his attention to the women. "You three I met in Irvine obviously. Nice to see you again Carina. Zondra," Chuck waved and smiled. Zondra gave in and hugged Chuck and Carina followed suit. They parted and then Chuck continued. "The Major and I … worked together on several operations over the years," Chuck gave Casey a knowing smile. "Annd then I come full circle back to you, Sarah," A grin spreading across his face. He then caught himself and the grin fell from his face, standing a little straighter. "I uh...I take it this is your new 'analyst' position you mentioned?" Chuck asked with a flat look.

Sarah couldn't quite read the expression on his face. It looked much colder than she had become accustomed to with Chuck. This is what she had feared. That him finding out on his own instead of from her would ruin the trust they were ...she was... trying to build. She knew she had screwed it all up...again. She couldn't let her emotions show, not in front of the whole team. Sarah steeled her expression and stood up straight, "Yes. As a matter of fact it is," she replied, a little challenging, defiant even.

Chuck was a little taken aback at her cold response. He had wanted to talk with her about this last night but in his wildest dreams he never imagined that she would find out like this. He would have to explain this to her in private, without the rest of the team present. And just when things were going so well, shit like this has to happen. And of course the 'lady's man extraordinaire" himself, Bryce 'Fucking' Larkin would have to be here, of all the damn people. He just oozes confidence and charm. Time and again women threw themselves at him in college. Especially any of the girls that Chuck had shown interest in or by some fluke showed interest in him. Bryce would direct that smile and his stupid blue eyes their way and "So long Charlie!" Undoubtedly not much has changed since then. He even looked more suave than ever, with his expensive suits, million-dollar smile and perfect hair. If they were staying in the same house, there was no way Chuck could compete with that.

Bryce broke in pulling the attention back to himself. "I have to say, I'm a little surprised. I mean, I knew you were a huge nerd at Stanford, but I heard you dropped out. Couldn't cut it or something. I thought we were getting some great analyst. Or is this what passes for 'great' at the NSA? " Bryce chided with a cocky smirk. In that moment the temperature in the room dropped about fifty degrees, like all the happiness had been sucked out. From the glares on the women's faces and the look Casey was giving, they were about to have to call in a cleaner crew. Casey even began to growl. Before anyone else could jump in Chuck spoke up.

"That's fair enough. You don't really know me...at least not for some time. We've never worked together professionally, so I can understand your apprehension. After all, when on a team like this you have to... trust...all the members, implicitly," Chuck spoke very stoically with just a hint of bitterness. Sarah turned to look at Chuck, feeling almost wounded by his words. Was that a jab at her for hiding this from him? Were things worse than she thought or was Bryce somehow the target? What was their relationship like at Stanford? As Chuck continued, Sarah was broken from her thoughts.

"I'm not going to ask you to trust me, Bryce. I'm not going to ask that of any of you. Trust is something you have to earn, right? So I'll just let my work and actions speak for themselves. I'll make you a deal. If after two weeks you guys don't think I'm up for the task, I'll leave. No questions asked. Fair?" Chuck asked raising an eyebrow to Bryce.

Bryce milled it over, looking at the ceiling, twisting his lips as if in deep contemplation. "I suppose. If you last that long. Maybe you'll cut bait and run here too," Bryce smirked, clearly enjoying getting under Chuck's skin.

"Alright," Casey interrupted. "We got shit to do, so you can fight it out later." Bryce gave a hauty snort at the comment but Chuck just let it go. "Now pick your bunks and meet down in the conference room at 1000. Bartowski here can show you the way." With that Casey made his exit.

Bryce walked to the doorway of the master bedroom as did the others. He started to open his mouth when Sarah went stumbling into the master bedroom, barely able to keep her balance. Before she could voice her complaint she was interrupted. "Walker's got this one!" Zondra exclaimed, cutting off Bryce. He looked at Zondra like he was about to protest but the look she gave him made him rethink that plan. He looked over the room and eyed Sarah up and down. A wry smile spread across his face as he walked down the hall to find a suitable room. Sarah just looked at Zondra and began to protest under her breath.

"I don't need this giant room. What am I going to do with all of this?" Zondra opened the door to the master bath and pointed at the large jacuzzi tub. "I imagine you can find somethings to do with that," Zondra exclaimed, waiting for Sarah to try and argue. Sarah just blushed but a wry smile grew across her face. "Fine. I'll take it," Sarah conceded. "I'll have plenty of room for ….'company'," Sarah mused. She looked up to see Chuck leaning against the bedroom doorway, his expression still flat. The wry smile washed from Sarah's face as she looked to the floor.

"Ladies, could you give us a moment," Chuck looked to Carina and Zondra. They looked to Sarah and then left the room. Chuck closed the door behind him and locked it. He stood facing the door for a moment, apparently collecting his thoughts. Sarah was growing more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by. Chuck turned and began to move toward her. As he grew nearer, Sarah slumped and looked ashamed, staring at her shoes, fidgeting with her hands. "Chuck….I... I don't...I'm so-" her emotions were starting to get the better of her when Chuck stopped her by placing a finger gently across her lips. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, remorse spread across her face, tears welling in her eyes. He rotated his hand to take her chin and softly pulled her into an impassioned kiss. Sarah was caught off guard but when she regained her senses she placed her hand on his cheek as they kissed, relishing in their closeness. The fear and apprehension melting away as their bodies pressed together. He slowly pulled away and looked back into her eyes.

"Sarah, I get it. Don't think about it for another second. OK? I understand full well what 'need to know' means and I didn't need to know. In their eyes anyway. You told me what I needed to hear. That you were happy with your new job and it gave you a sense of accomplishment. What more could I ask for? I'm so sorry I didn't have a chance to …'not tell you' about this," Chuck pointed around the house. "It was only shortly after I got off the call with you yesterday that Casey showed up. Are...are you angry with me? You seemed very angry with me. I didn't want to hide this from you, but I didn't have a choice," Chuck pleaded. Sarah let out a small sob, covering her mouth.

"God Chuck. Sometimes you are just too much. How could I be angry with you? I...I thought your were upset with me because I had to hide this from you. I was so scared that you would find out and that"….that it would ruin…" Sarah covered her mouth and closed her eyes, trying to fight back a sob. "Then...then you were talking about trust...and..I..I was so sure you were talking about me and that I had..lost your.." Sarah could not hold back any longer and broke down into a sob, her head in her hands. Chuck immediately rushed to her and pulled her into a strong embrace.

" . . Hey. Hey. It's OK," Chuck squeezed her tight and cradled the back of her head holding it against his chest. He didn't speak again until her sobbing eased and she would be able to hear him. "Hey. Sarah. Look at me, please," Chuck pleaded. He gently lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. When their eyes met, his face lit up and his eyes sparkled. "There she is. Hi," he said with a dreamy look on his face. "I'm sorry if I seemed angry. I was trying to keep things professional and not show how worried I was in front of everyone. Well...that's not entirely true. I was angry. Angry at Bryce, but that's a long story. One for another time." He bent down and kissed her again, a little more chaste this time. "I'm gonna let you get freshened up a little before the meeting. Then maybe later we can take a walk and talk some more. Huh?" Chuck inquired with a sense of hope. Sarah just smiled and nodded, giving him a quick kiss and a pat on the chest. He started toward the door but spun around, "Oh...um one other thing. Maybe we should keep the uh...PDA to a minimum for a while. Just until things get going and we are more comfortable as a team," Chuck paused for a moment. "Plus, since I was the last one added to the team and don't have near the experience you guys do, I don't want people to think it was out of nepotism or something. I mean, assuming it wasn't," Chuck gave a self-deprecating shrug.

Sarah's shoulders slumped listening to Chuck putting himself down. It didn't sound like the strong, confident Chuck she knew. "Chuck...Listen. When Casey approached me when I first came back to DC, he told me that there was another team member that was, how did he put it?…'indisposed'. I can only assume he meant you. I don't know how well you know Casey, but the Casey I know doesn't do 'nepotism'. While everyone here may not know who you really are or how truly amazing you are, they'll find out soon enough," Sarah smiled from ear to ear and gave him a wink.

Chuck returned the gesture with a small smile of his own. Quietly he replied, "Thank you. I'll meet you in the kitchen in a few." With that he left and closed the door behind him. Sarah stood in the middle of the room and slowly turned in a circle, taking it all in. The enormous bedroom with king sized bed, walk-in closest...a study! The bathroom looked like a spa in and of itself. She certainly didn't think she deserved this room, but the thought of what could transpire in that bed...or the tub...or the balcony…" _OK, Walker. Focus. Focus. We're taking things slow, remember. _ She closed her eyes and blew out a long breath. She went to the bathroom to freshen up a bit and then headed to the kitchen to meet up with the others. When she reached the kitchen, she could overhear Bryce conversing with Chuck in the kitchen.

"Oh God. You remember Rachel? Man, what was her last name? …" Bryce pondered for a moment.

Chuck replied flattley with a sigh, "Evans. Rachel Evans."

"Right! Doesn't matter. Anyway, she was something else, man. She was a gymnast and oh God her friend Abby...wow…"

Chuck just held up a hand to stop him. "I don't really need to hear about it, again. You were quite vivid when you came home the next morning after what was supposed to be our double date."

"Oh, right. Right. I remember. Sorry about that, Buddy. Don't know how I could have gotten the name of the place wrong. Anyway, yeah. Abby kept asking about you but eventually, a few drinks later and the next thing we all know…"

"Bryce!" Chuck barked. "I don't need a recap...Thank you!" Chuck just turned and walked to the coffee maker to refill his cup. She could see the look on Chuck's face but couldn't quite tell if it was anger, frustration or hurt; maybe it was a little of all three. With Chuck's back turned, Bryce let the evil grin spread across his face. He was clearly taking great joy in pour salt into some wound and relishing in the effect it had on Chuck. Looking back to Chuck, he was bracing his hands on the counter, his eyes closed, taking in even breaths.

"Chuck, what was the name of that nerdy girl? You know the one with the long dark hair, glasses?" Bryce asked from behind Chuck with his oily grin. Chuck stiffened and his eyes opened with a flash of rage. Sarah knew she should step in or something bad may happen.

"Hey guys. We about ready for the conference call?" Sarah interrupted walking fully into the kitchen. Both men turned to her. Chuck's anger seemed to subside as he tried to muster a smile. Bryce's smile turned from evil to lecherous as he looked her up and down. Carina and Zondra came from the great room and joined them.

Chuck stood and motioned for the others to follow, "This way." He walked, still with a noticeable limp, to a portion of the built-in cabinetry in an adjacent wall to the kitchen and pushed, causing it to spring back, opening slightly. He pulled the cabinet open like a door, revealing a staircase leading down. He waved them all through and pulled the door closed behind him. At the bottom landing Chuck asked Sarah to scan in, as she was closest to the panel. She performed the biometric authentication and the panel flashed green, unlocking the door. They all walked into the large room with monitors and computing equipment everywhere. "This is the command center," Chuck explained. "There are work terminals for you to use other along that wall and I, along with anyone remaining here in Castle during a mission, will utilize this equipment over here for running comms, etc. during the mission. Let's head through that door. It's the conference room. Casey's probably in there already."

They entered the room and spread out to occupy the seats around the large oval table. The room looked just like any other conference room. A large, sixty-five inch TV was at the far end of the room, mounted to the wall near the narrow end of the table. There was Polycom equipment on the table and camera above the TV for video and teleconferencing. Casey was sitting with a stack of files, one open in front of him. "'Bout damn time. Conference starts in two," Casey remarked, not looking up from his file. As he read he would nod occasionally. Everyone sat quietly. Sarah set next to Casey and Carina beside her. Bryce and Zondra sat on the other side of the table with Chuck sitting next to Zondra. Chuck did not want to sit at the far end of the table having to be on full display staring straight on at the TV when the call started. Soon, Casey closed his file and interlocked his fingers on top of the table and turned to look at the TV. No less than five seconds later the TV came to life with the NSA logo. After a moment it flashed to a stern looking red-headed woman with her hair pulled into a tight bun. The detail on the screen was so clear that you could easily make out her rank of General and her name badge indicating 'Beckman'.

"Good morning team. Major Casey," The General greeted in a flat tone.

"Good moring, General," Casey replied sitting up straight. The rest of the team offered their own greeting in return.

"For those of you who don't know me, I am General Diane Beckman, Director of the NSA. While Major Casey will be your team lead, you all answer to me and me alone. Your missions will come through me or will be approved by me. You all have your cover jobs that you are expected to maintain so as not to draw attention to yourselves. You have all been sworn to secrecy about this team and any of our missions or projects. There are individuals, traitors, within our government that wish to do harm to this country. Some of these people may be in high ranking positions within our government. You can trust no one outside of this team. Am I clear? No one!" Beckman raised an eyebrow waiting for confirmation. In concert the entire room confirmed with "Yes General." "Good." She looked around the room and settled on Chuck. She looked down at her desk for a moment, appearing to read something, and then looked back to Chuck. "Bartowski. I trust you are fit enough to perform your analyst duties?" She looked to him with almost a look of concern, clearly deviating from the stern looks she seemed to keep.

"Yes, General. Thank you, General." Chuck replied sitting up ramrod straight.

She eyed him for a moment as if gauging his response. "Very well. Team, your first mission will be tonight. Some of you may be familiar with François Bouchard," an image of a middle-aged, handsome, sophisticated man appeared on the screen. " Bouchard is an international arms dealer working mainly out of Sierra Leone. He specializes in 'hard to find' items such as nuclear or chemical weapons from unstable countries. We have reason to believe that he is meeting with some domestic terrorist groups to broker the sale of such devices within the US. I don't think I have to explain the ramifications of this deal going through." Beckman paused but the room was silence. "He will be at a gala event in DC tonight at the Bulgarian embassy celebrating their national heritage. We suspect that he will be using this even to begin these negotiations. While naturally the safety of the country is paramount, our focus will be in identifying anyone present at these negotiations. We suspect that some of these rogue government officials me be involved with this. A nuclear or chemical attack on US soil could spark an upheaval that could bring some of these rogue agents into power. We cannot let that happen. We will send a team into the event to identify any possible accomplices and place bugs in strategic locations. Major Casey will provide internal support, posing as part of the event staff. Unfortunately, since Bouchard is familiar with the identities of Agents Miller and Rizzo, Agent Walker will be going in with Agent Larkin, posing as a couple. Major Casey has your cover identities and suitable clothing will be delivered to the safehouse. Agents Bartowski, Miller and Rizzo will be in the surveillance van near the event. Remember, you will be on foreign soil without authorization. So if you are caught, we cannot officially help you. Understood?"

"Yes, General. Understood," Casey replied. "Is there anything else General?"

"That will be all. Good luck team," she declared as she cut the feed and the screen went black.

Casey slid a folder to Sarah, "Here's your cover. You and Larkin will be Bruce and Sarah Anderson. Sarah, is a curator at the 'Bulgarian Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center' in West Homestead, PA. and have been invited with her husband Bruce to attend." Casey concluded. Bryce expression changed from one of smug satisfaction to a furrowed brow of confusion.

"Wait. Wait. Wait. What about me? Am I a wealthy philanthropist? An heir to a banking fortune?"

Casey slid the bio information to Bryce, "You're a middle school English teacher from Pennsylvania." Bryce looked over the paperwork frantically.

"What…but...you can't be serious. An English teacher? Do I look like an English teacher? I mean seriously? Why am I not the curator or the ...whatever it is?" Bryce demanded.

"Bulgarian Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center," Sarah rattled off. Casey just smirked.

"Well, for starters, Bouchard has a thing for the ladies. Blonde ones at that, so you got two strikes on that account, Sport. Secondly, she not only knows French, so can converse with Bouchard more ...intimately, but she also speaks a number of eastern European languages, so has the best chance of understanding the Bulgarians," Casey finished.

Bryce did not look please but conceded, "Fine. Fine. But an English teacher? Really?"

Casey just shrugged, "I dunno. I guess she must have settled. You should feel lucky. She's way outta your league," Casey gave a half chuckle and collected his files to leave. Bryce just grumbled under his breath, not looking at all pleased. As they were getting up from the table he called out to Sarah.

"Hey. Sarah. I think we should spend some time going over our cover together. Getting out story straight, getting used to one another. You know? So we will be more believable as a couple." Bryce had gotten his charming smile back and had turned it up to '11' as he talked to Sarah. Sarah had only been undercover solo, so was not used to doing the couple's thing. She supposed he had a point.

"Fine, Larkin. We can meet in the theatre room later and go over stuff. Just give me a few," Sarah conceded reluctantly. Bryce just smiled and nodded at her as he made his way out of the room. Chuck could only look on in frustration. He knew he couldn't say anything. He had to trust her and her professionalism. If he came off as the jealous boyfriend everytime she had to do something like this, she would grow tired of his childish behavior and he'd lose her for good.

"Chuck," Sarah pulled up beside him. "I'm sorry but I have to go work with Larkin on our cover. Can we reschedule that talk for another time?" Sarah asked looking hopeful.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure. Whatever you need." She gave him a smile and patted his arm as she left the room. Chuck tried to smile for her but he was certainly feeling more than a little dejected. He knew it was only a matter of time now before Bryce did what Bryce did best: get the girl. There had been so many times before that Bryce had stolen a girl from him, well all the ones that Chuck had shown any interest in at any rate. It was like a game to him. Bryce's national past time. He didn't know why, but being around Bryce again made him feel like the Chuck from all those years ago. The Chuck that had low self-confidence, poor self-esteem and issues even talking to women. It was clear back then that Chuck could not compete with the infamous Bryce Larkin when it came to women. Now he was going to be thrust into a position - _really?_\- into a situation where he would be intimately involved with Sarah. Playing the part of a young married couple. It didn't take a Rhodes Scholar to figure out what that entailed. And Chuck would get a front row seat to all of it on the video feeds. _Fan-fucking-tastic._

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Chuck spent another hour in the gym. Even after his long morning workout, he had some pent up aggression that he needed to get out. That pit of anger was filled to the brim when he walked by the theatre room on his way to the gym. He could clearly hear Sarah laughing. A true, uninhibited laugh. He had not heard that since...well since Irvine. The door was ajar and all Chuck could see was the back of Sarah in one of the theatre chairs with Bryce sitting next to her, his body turned to face her, his elbow resting on the back of the seat. He could clearly see the smug smirk on Bryce's face as Sarah threw her head back in laughter. Chuck swore he could hear Casey until he realized it was him that was emanating a low growl. With clench fists and jaw he made a beeline to the gym.

After a quick work out with some free weights he used a weight belt to strap is left arm and shoulder tight to his body. He then went to the heavy bag and began to let out some more frustration. With Drowning Pool's, _Bodies_ playing on his phone he took great delight in beating the shit out of the heavy bag. With every crushing right hook or right uppercut, the bag swing higher. An occasional straight kick with his right leg was needed to halt the swing so the dance could continue. Chuck noticed that someone had walked in and was spectating but he had left all his 'shits' at the door, so paid them no mind. Each sickening thud of Chuck's punches and kicks was accentuated with a gutteral kiai. Various faces flashed through Chuck's mind as he pummeled the bag. Most notable were the captor he had rescued Sarah from and now Bryce Larkin. Visualizing Bryce's face on that bag really made his blood boil. Working through Drowning Pool and now hearing the close of Metallica's _Enter Sandman_, Chuck took a moment's pause to stop the music, get a drink and wipe down with a towel.

"I take it you and the bag had a falling out?" came the female voice from the door. Chuck took a closer look and noticed the form that had been watching was Carina. He finished his swallow of water as she pushed herself off the wall and started walking toward him, wearing leggings, a sports bra and tennis shoes. She was certainly a breathtaking woman. If his sights were not already set elsewhere, he might be tempted.

"Something like that," Chuck replied, taking the weight strap off his upper body, revealing his bare chest and abdomen. That garnered a hiss from Carnia.

"Damn! That looks nasty. Well, just the scar that is. What uh..what happened?" Carina inquired, pointing to his left shoulder. Though there were a number of old scars, he knew what she was pointing at but he looked down toward it anyway. The dark red and purple scar over the front of his left shoulder, while healed closed nicely, was still an ugly reminder. He debated whether he should tell her given that the mission was classified, but given that they were on the same team and the clearance they all had, he felt he should trust her.

"I was shot in the shoulder and thigh with an AK 103 while on a rescue mission a few weeks ago." Chuck offered. Wiping sweat from his body, the tattoo on his right shoulder came into clear view. Carina instinctively reached out to touch it, letting out a "Whoa" but then stopping herself just short.

"You..you're a Force Recon Marine? Like Casey was?" She asked, sounding in awe. It was rare to hear Carina talk in a serious tone, so it pulled Chuck out of his thoughts.

"Uh..yeah. Yeah. We served together on a few operations, but he was in the NSA by then," Chuck confessed. "How did you know he was a Recon Marine?" Chuck inquired.

A wry smile grew across Carina's face, "Let's just say I've seen a similar tattoo," Carina chuckled to herself which earned a raised eyebrow from Chuck. He just smiled, catching her meaning but not wanting to wonder down that path, he just nodded.

"So, who'd you rescue? Anyone important? Some foreign dignitary? Some rich socialite get into trouble on vacation?" Carina inquired with an expectant smile, clearly interested in the gossip. Chuck paused for a moment, his hand stilled from wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Yes. Very important." Chuck was quiet for a moment but Carina could sense there was more coming. As if on queue, "And that person just happened to be accompanying the Secretary of State." Chuck left it at that and began going his stretches. The wheels were turning as she looked around in contemplation, trying to figure out who could be more important that the Secretary of State in the scenario. She looked back at Chuck and then it hit her like a truck.

"NO!" she exclaimed in disbelief, almost like she was commanding him to take it back. "No! You've got to be fucking kidding me? W-...Walker?!" She asked in pure disbelief. He just looked up at her and then back down at the mat, continuing his stretching. "Oh...My. God. That….Oh Jesus. That makes so much s… Goddammit!" She barked out, her lips pursed. Chuck could see that there was something going on in her head but wasn't sure what. It was eating at her whatever it was. Chuck got up and walked to Carina. He instinctively placed a hand on her shoulder and just looked at her cocking his head sideways to try and catch her gaze at the floor. She briefly looked up to him then down at the floor. After a moment she slowly raised her gaze up to him again as if in resignation. "She...she called me a couple weeks ago and left a voicemail. She sounded kind of strange...far off maybe. Like something was bothering her, but I… I brushed it off that she was occupied with something. She asked me to caller her when I had a chance. I was on assignment and never got a chance to call her back." She paused a moment to swallow a lump in her throat. "Was she...was she ... 'OK'?" the apprehension in her voice showed her concern and her fear of asking the real questions on her mind.

"Yeah. Yeah, she was alright. I got ...we got to them in time. Before anything bad happened. I'm sure it was no picnic, but I don't think there was any lasting damage. You should really talk to her about that though," Chuck replied. Carina let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She then bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly.

"I...I should have called her. I...I should have made the time, dammit. What the hell kind of friend am I? For her to go through that shit and not be there for her…" she trailed off, turning her head away from Chuck. Despite the brash and salacious persona Carina put forth, Chuck could see that fierce and caring friend he remembered from all those years ago still lived under the surface. Without a word, Chuck rose and walked to her, pulling her into a strong hug. They stood silent for a moment, only a small sniffle heard from Chuck's shoulder.

"Carina, you realize that we've been like this for like ... 30 seconds or more and you haven't tried to grab my ass or make an inappropriate comment. You have a reputation to uphold," trying to add some levity into the situation. That earned him a snort and a weak punch to the side.

"Asshole," Carina replied with a wet chuckle.

After a brief pause Chuck continued, "The business you are in does not lend itself to being there for the ones you love all the time. I'm sure Sarah knows that and certainly doesn't hold it against you. Only thing I can say is to be there for her when you can be. It'll be enough. Just talk to her. OK?" After a moment Carina nodded, her head still against his shoulder. She slowly pushed away and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. Then she pushed his good shoulder.

"When did you get to be so damn smart?" she teased with a wry smile.

"Nerd. Remember?" he retorted tapping his temple. "Now if you'll excuse me, the nerd has some more venting to do." Chuck strapped the weight belt around himself again as Carina watched.

"So about that. What's eatin' you? That bag was getting a serious ass whoopin'," Carina chuckled. Chuck squared off with the heavy bag again, letting loose with a hard right hook.

"Bryce-" _thump _"Freaking-" _thump_ "Larkin-" _whump. _Chuck finished with a hard straight kick before stopping the swing of the bag to begin again. "He's always been really great at one thing.." Chuck landed a hard right uppercut.

"And what is that exactly? Cuticle care?" Carina snickered at her own joke. Chuck did not seem to find it as funny as he sent the bag swinging with another hard right.

"He's always been great at getting _whatever _he wants," Chuck snarled through gritted teeth as he spun and landed a devastating right elbow to the bag and followed by a high back kick on the rebound.

"OK…" Carina was taken aback, never having seen Chuck this angry before. "Um..what exactly is it you think he wants?" she asked cautiously. Chuck just stopped the bag and gave her a flat look. "What? Blondie?" She replied in disbelief. "There is no way that guy has any kind of chance with her. She'd see right through his bullshit," Carina scoffed.

"Yeah. I hoped so too, but …" Chuck just slumped his shoulders and let out a sigh as he rested his head on the bag. Just then the sound of laughter echoed from the hallway, as the door to the gym was still open.

"Bryyyce! Stooop. You're terrible," Sarah chided through her laughter as they could see her push Bryce's shoulder as they passed by the door.

"What? I'm just trying to say..." Bryce retorted as they trailed off heading out the backdoor to the patio. Chuck just glanced over his shoulder at Carina. The fight suddenly gone from Chuck, he took off his weight belt and went to retrieve his things.

"Chuck...Look. I'm..I'm sure they're just working on their cover for tonight. They have to make it look believable, right? I'm sure that's all it is," Carina tried to sound optimistic but she had to admit that little scene did not sound good. Chuck just nodded.

"I'll uh...I'll catch ya later, huh?" Chuck said softly and without looking at Carina he left.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

After cleaning himself up and getting dressed, Chuck made his way to the basement to the armory. There were so many things he was uncertain of, things that gave him doubt. This room, however, gave him clarity. Things in this room were black and white. They had a clear function, a purpose and Chuck knew that purpose well. The demons of his past drummed up those old feelings of doubt and uncertainty. He was going into a mission tonight and he needed focus, clarity. Chuck walked his way through the armory, touching some of the weapons as he walked by as if reminiscing with old friends. He collected the Sig P320, two spare magazines and an inside pants holster with magazine pouches. He made sure all was loaded and secured then continued on his way. He slid open the wide drawer containing a huge selection of knives. He examined and appraised them as he worked his way throughout the drawer. Finding what he was after, he collected two throwing knives with sheaths to place on either side of his concealed pistol and a large folding tactical knife for his pocket. Sure he was going to "stay in the van" but it always pays to be prepared. Continuing on his scavenger hunt, he found drawers of tools and miscellaneous equipment. He grabbed the ear buds for all the team members, a small maglite for his belt along with an impressive Leatherman multi-tool in case, well...in case. He'd used his multi-tools to cut fencing, repair cars, open beer bottles, disembowel your enemy... They're a very good friend to have.

Chuck collected 3 MP5-SDs and spare magazines for each, along with some flashbangs and placed them in a large duffle bag. He'd keep these in the van in case things went pear-shaped. He grabbed a silencer for his Sig as well and signed out all of the equipment. Chuck took the equipment to the large garage behind the house where their surveillance van was stored. He stowed all the equipment and ensured that all his computer and surveillance gear was prepared for tonight.

To help ease his mind, he went to the kitchen to prepare supper for everyone. He liked to cook as it gave him something to occupy his mind. He was no great chef but he liked food and learning to cook meant he didn't have to go out to eat all the time. He had learned a lot from his sister Ellie and quite a bit more from trial and error cooking for his team. He washed the red potatoes and asparagus, cutting the potatoes into bite size pieces. He tossed the potatoes in some oil and spices and herbs and placed them on a sheet pan in the oven to bake. He wrapped the asparagus in foil with some Italian salad dressing. Pulling some boneless skinless chicken breast from the fridge, along with a beer, he took them along with the asparagus to the patio.

Some twenty minutes later, the smell of the chicken on the grill must have been a siren song as team members made their way to the patio. Zondra and Carina came through the patio door, with glasses of wine in hand. "Sexy, badass and he can cook. Tell me again why it is you aren't married?" Carina questioned with amusement.

Chuck just gave a half smile, "Well...things just never seemed to work out that way," he replied with a small sigh of resignation. Carina immediately realized she'd just put her foot in her mouth. The unfortunate ending of Chuck and Sarah so long ago must still be a sore spot.

"Chuck. I'm …"

"No. No. It's fine. Really. I appreciate the compliment. In reality, I suppose my job has always been in the way. Not sure if things are any better now. Who knows?" Chuck mused. The group engaged in small talk as Chuck made his way between the grill and kitchen a few times, checking on food. When all was finished he plated up everything and Zondra and Carina helped with setting the table. Chuck announced over the house intercom system that supper was ready, while his "helpers" were finishing taking plates to the table. Chuck cleaned up the kitchen a bit before heading to the dining room and taking a seat. Carina, Zondra and Casey were all seated and moments after Chuck found a chair they could hear Sarah and Bryce making their way through the house. They could just make out their conversation as it echoed down the hallway.

"So? What do you think? How was it?" Bryce inquired with a bit of apprehension in his voice.

"Yeah. It was...it was good. You know that thing I showed you? How to use your tongue…? Right...like that," Sarah let out a small chuckle. "Well, keep practicing that and then come see me again," Sarah offered over her shoulder as she walked into the room. The smirk dropped from her face, overtaken with a look of surprise and then embarrassment to see four sets of eyes staring at her. "Uh...Hi. Sorry we're late," Sarah offered a bit sheepishly, taking a seat across from Chuck. She caught Chuck's hard gaze and looked away nervously, fidgeting with her napkin.

"Wow. You ladies went all out. Nice job on the food. Looks delicious," Bryce commented with his smarmy attitude as he sat at the head of the table between Chuck and Sarah.

"Really? You automatically assume that because we're women that we cooked?" Carina asked, affronted. "Pig…" she murmured and she began to aggressively cut her chicken.

"Oh. I'm so sorry to have offended your delicate sensibilities... 'Lady' then," as he turned his gaze to Chuck and then back to his plate. Everyone at the table, with the exception of Chuck, was shocked at what a complete ass Bryce could be. A growl could be heard emanating from somewhere around the table. Chuck assumed it was Casey be he couldn't be quite sure. Not wanting to start a battle before their mission, he just put his elbow on the table, holding his hand up to halt any retorts. Chuck looked up across the table at Sarah and could see her jaw clenched as she attacked her asparagus.

"So… How's the 'cover' coming along?" Chuck inquired, trying to keep any venom from his tone as he picked at his food.

"Oh, I think it's coming along fabulously. Wouldn't you agree Sarah?" Bryce directed his oily grin toward Sarah. With a flat look on her face she turned to look at Bryce then briefly to Chuck and back to her plate.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. We're supposed to keep it lowkey anyway. The less we're noticed the better," she replied dryly.

"Good luck with that," Chuck retorted under his breath. Like she could go anywhere and not be noticed he smiled inwardly to himself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that," Sarah addressed Chuck with a raised eyebrow and a hint of challenge in her tone. Chuck pulled himself from his musings and looked her in the eye.

"I was just saying 'Good Luck' for tonight. That's all." Chuck broke from her piercing grey-blue gaze as his plate seemed quite interesting at the moment. A very uncomfortable silence settled over the table, only the sound of utensils on dinnerware cutting through the tension. After a few long moments Zondra finally broke the silence.

"Thanks for supper, Chuck. It's really good. I don't remember the last time I had a home cooked meal," Zondra offered.

"Yeah, Chuck. Thanks for dinner," Carina gave him a gentle elbow. Casey responded with a grunt of affirmation as he was busy stuffing his face. Chuck looked around the table and nodded his acceptance. When he panned to Sarah, he could see that her expression had softened and a small smile had broken through her previously hardened facade.

"Thanks Chuck," she offered, her eyes no longer the stormy grey-blue but now a more vibrant, almost cornflower. As much as Chuck fought the smile, the corner of his mouth turned up. He never grew tired of discovering the endless spectrum of blues in Sarah's eyes. He would admit that it sounded a little corny, but as beautiful as Sarah Walker is, her eyes were by far one of her most breathtaking features. He quietly returned a "Welcome" as he diverted his attention back to his plate.

"Yeah. Thanks for all this great food, Chuck. Who knew you'd become such a great cook? You go into food service after you left Stanford? Or did good ole Mom teach you while you stayed in her basement?" Bryce snorted at his attempt at humor.

Chuck immediately stood up, his hands gripping the table, white-knuckle tight. Through his clenched jaw he managed to get out, "If you'll excuse me. I think I left the oven on," as he walked with purpose out of the dining room. Everyone was dumbfounded at the unadulterated asshole that sat before them. Chuck was out of the room before she could get her mouth to work.

"What?" Bryce asked through a chuckle, giving a shrug.

"You are suck a fucking asshole! How could you say something like that? Are you that much of a goddamn sociopath? He lost his Mom to cancer after his freshman year of college you dick!" Sarah spat as she threw her napkin at her plate.

Oddly, Bryce grew wide-eyed and stood along with Sarah. He held his hands up in surrender, " Whoa, whoa. I'm sorry. I didn't know OK? Even..even I'm not that big of a dick. I'm sorry... I'll-I'll go talk to him. I guess I let the old fraternity ribbing get away from me," the smarmy look was gone and was replaced with what seemed to be a genuine look of apology. Sarah said nothing but after studying him for a moment pointed to the door as she sat back down, which hastened his retreat. Bryce eventually caught up with Chuck who was pacing on the back patio. Bryce gingerly stepped out on the patio closing the door quietly behind him. He cleared his throat to announce his presence.

"Hey uh..Chuck." Bryce stated tentatively. Chuck looked at him over his shoulder and then moved to the railing at the edge of the patio and rested his hands on it, looking out to the yard. "Look...I'm…I'm really sorry about the last bit in there. I...I didn't know. I swear," Bryce confessed with genuine sincerity. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about your Mom. I didn't know she was sick." Not knowing what else to say, he just stayed quiet hoping that Chuck might say something, anything.

After what seemed like an eternity, Chuck replied in a ragged voice, "Turns out none of us knew. Not until it was too late anyway…" Chuck trailed off.

"I'm...I'm sorry, man. Is that… is that why you didn't come back?" Bryce questioned quietly.

Chuck shrugged, still staring into the backyard, "Maybe...partly anyway. It doesn't matter," Chuck shook his head in resignation.

"You… You could have said something. Called me. Anything. But you just vanished with… without a word. I thought we were friends, fraternity brothers, man. Then you up and just….just left me," Bryce's volume raised. Hurt, anger and disappointment colored his tone. "You just .. just left.." Bryce trailed off. Chuck slowly turned around, seeing Bryce leaning against the house, arms hugging himself, staring at the ground. This was far from the brash, arrogant Bryce Larkin, Chuck knew.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Bryce. I guess with everything that happened I… I guess I left a lot of people behind. I guess I never thought our friendship really mattered that much to you. You seemed to have enough arm candy to keep you entertained," Chuck replied, a bit of amusement coloring his last words.

Bryce gave a one syllable chuckle, " Yeah. Well. That may be, but I only had one friend. I'm … I'm sorry I've been kind of a dick today. I guess I was still pretty angry about Stanford. What… what do you say we call it even and move on, since we have to work together an all?" Bryce extended his hand to Chuck as an olive branch. Chuck looked from Bryce to his outstretched had and back. After a moment's pause, Chuck reached out his hand and took Bryce's in a firm handshake.

Chuck released his grip and patted Bryce on the shoulder. "Alright, Mr. Anderson," Chuck began with his best Agent Jones impression. "Let's get back in there. We got a gala to crash."

* * *

A/N2: Have the issues between Chuck and Bryce really been resolved? What's going on with Bryce and Sarah? Has she fallen victim to the devilish smile and boyish charms of Bryce Larkin? Hopefully the next chapter will have some answers for you. Stay tuned.

Sorry it was so a little on the long side. Reviews and PMs are welcome as always. And as a PSA, if you are not already a member, I encourage you to join the "Chuck Fanfiction" group on Facebook. It is an amazing group of authors, readers and then there's me. This group is only for Chuck Fanfiction discussion, as the new suggests. Share links to your own work or you discuss your favorite fics. Maybe even post a request or fic challenge to shake things up. Look forward to seeing you there.

JW


	8. Chapter 8

Welcome back for Chapter 8. Thanks for following the story and for all the great feedback. I don't like to give too many hints away in the author notes, so let's get on with the show.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

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Chapter 8

"So what the hell was all that about?" Casey grumbled, sucking food out of his teeth. The three women just looked at him and shook their heads in unison.

"I'm not entirely sure, but Bryce has been a complete asshole toward Chuck since we all met this morning. There seems to be some history there obviously, but I'm not sure what," Sarah offered, picking at her food.

Carina cleared her throat a little before interjecting, "I uh...I kind of got the impression that back in Stanford, Bryce was quite the ... ladies man. You know...taking his share and other people's share as well...if you get what I mean. I don't think that the Chuck 'then' is the same Chuck we see now. Maybe with Bryce here, he's bringing back some of those bad memories?" Carina shrugged. "I think the phrase, 'Bryce is great at getting whatever he wants' may have come up. The $64,000 question is, what is it that Bryce wants?" Carina asked. Under her breath she added, "or who?" as she took a bite of food. Sarah just barely caught Carina's mumbling but wasn't sure what she meant by that.

Casey groaned, "Nobody said we were having lady feelings for dessert. I'm out. I gotta get to the Embassy to get in place anyway. If those two kill each other, Zondra gets to wear the tux," Casey declared matter of factly as he took his dishes to the kitchen. After a a few seconds all three women broke out in laughter at the thought.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sarah was in her lavish master bathroom wrapped in her bathrobe when a knock sounded, interrupting her putting on her makeup. She sighed and belted out, "It's open!" as she went back to her task. Carina pushed the door open and slinked inside.

"Hey. Um… you got a sec to talk while you put your face on?" Carina inquired, more timid than she normally would.

Sarah looked at her quizzically through the mirror and nodded, "Yeah. Of course. What's up?" she asked going back to putting on her mascara.

Carina sat on the vanity next to Sarah and let out a long sigh. "I...I wanted to apologize," Carina spoke quietly.

'"Apologize?" Sarah asked, taken aback. Apologies were not something Carina was usually given to pass around freely, so Sarah stopped what she was doing and looked at Carina straight on.

"I...I heard about what happened. A little bit anyway. I'm...I'm sorry I wasn't there when you called the other week. I feel like a pretty shitty friend to not be there when you needed me," Carina choked out, staring at the floor, unable to meet Sarah's gaze.

Sarah gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh God, Carina. Hey, No…" Sarah reached out and took hold of Carina's forearm. "Hey, I get it. You're a spy for Godsake, Carina. It's not like you can just drop everything, break your cover and call to 'chat'. I can't blame you for that," Sarah squeezed Carina's arm, hoping to pull her attention away from the floor. Carina did look up, her eyes shimmering like she had been fighting off tears. Sarah just gave her a warm smile and Carina tried to return it.

"Well...I'm here now. If..if you want to talk about it, "Carina offered with a hopeful glance.

Sarah blew out a breath, "Wow...um...yeah. Where to start? Well … we were flying back from Brazil when there was a small explosion and the plane started to go down…" Sarah continued the story, including all that happened: her abduction, her rescue, Chuck being shot and the time she spent with him in the hospital while he recovered.

"Wow! That's uh ...quite a story. So...I have a few questions. One, uh... when you were held hostage….did...did they…." Carina couldn't actually get the words out but the shakiness in her voice made it clear what she was getting at.

"No! No...nothing like that. They smacked me a couple times, but not too bad. Then...then the guy licked me," Sarah gave a disgusted face and shivered. "That was just before Chuck practically gutted the guy from behind with this enormous bowie knife. It was uh...kinda badass thinking back on it," she gave a shy smile but it quickly faded. She pause, chewing her bottom lip in contemplation. As the seconds passed, Sarah's face began to transform, growing pale. "I… I was scared Carina…" her jaw started to quiver a bit and her eyes grew glassy. "The ...the last time I was taken like that, they...they beat me within an inch of my life. It took so long for those nightmares start to go away. Then I was in that same situation again and…" she paused to find her words. "I thought there was no hope. We were in the middle of the damn jungle, miles from anywhere. Nobody knew where we were. I was so sure I was going to die or ...or far worse," she bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. After a few seconds she took in a sniffled breath and continued, "Then I opened my eyes and he was there. He saved me...like some sort of dream. The man I thought about so often...the last person in the world I ever expected to see again and he was there, holding my hand, telling me that he had come for me," she covered her face with both hands and started to sob, her whole body starting to shake. Carina, too, was in tears and quickly enveloped her friend in a powerful hug. Neither said anything. Carina just let her friend cry, letting it all out, holding her and rocking with her.

After a few minutes the crying stopped and they eventually separated, wiping their eyes and then chuckling at one and other, their makeup running from all the tears. "I'm sorry. I guess...I guess I needed to get that out. Thanks," Sarah gave Carina a tight lipped smile.

"Hey. That's what I'm here for. To make you cry," Carina gave a quiet chuckle and Sarah joined in.

"OK. Now that I have to start over on my makeup, what was your other questions?" Sarah asked letting out a cleansing breath and began to clean the smeared eye makeup.

"Right. Um...so..Chuck...Force Recon Marine? He uh...he doesn't really seem the type, you know? Casey I get! But Chuck? I mean...is he...you know…good at … whatever he does?" Carina inquired, looking a little pained to ask for fear Sarah might bite her head off or something.

"I get what you're sayin'. He's sweet, kind and sorta nerdy. Doesn't really fit the stereotype. I had that same question too. I didn't really see him in action, but I did see him as their team leader and he was definitely all business. They respected him. It was kinda sexy. When I talked with his friend Morgan, you remember? Anyway, he said that Chuck found my wallet on the plane, so he knew that I was there. Morgan said Chuck, himself, went through more than a dozen men to get to me. So I wouldn't let the nerdy exterior fool you. He's a badass when he has to be, I guess," Sarah smirked.

"Daaammn. I should be more careful calling him Chuckles from now on." Both women laughed but brought themselves back to task. "So, last question is kind of a two parter. First, what's with you and Chuck?" Carina asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

"Well…" Sarah began a little sheepishly, "we're taking things slow, but we're ...dating...exclusively," Sarah had a wry smile and a light blush at the admission.

"Really? Does he know that? I mean the exclusively part? Or more importantly, does Bryce know that?" Carina questioned with more serious tone this time.

"What do you mean? Of course Chuck knows. It was more or less his idea. I mean we aren't broadcasting it because in the current situation it's a little...complicated," Sarah rebuffed. "And what does Bryce have to do with anything?" she asked with furrowed brow.

"Well, just the way you two have been getting…'friendly'. The 'Oh Bryce. Stooop. You're terrible',"Carina acted out an overly dramatic scene in a breathy voice.

Sarah lightly smacked her on the leg, 'Stop. I don't sound like that. Besides, when did I say that?" She asked accusingly.

"Um, today! Chuck and I heard you outside the gym when you two walked out," Carina gave her a challenging look. Sarah sat pondered, trying to go through the events of the day. She finally seemed to have a realization.

"Oh! I remember," Sarah gave a small chuckle. "I may have said those words, but that's taken a little out of context," Sarah admitted.

"Right. Just like that crap between you two before dinner? The whole 'Was I any good?'. 'Yeah, and that thing you do with your tongue?' blah, blah blah. What the fuck that all about, huh?" Carina questioned, starting to get a little agitated. Sarah laughed at Carina's reenactment. That caused Carina's brow to furrow. "You know Chuck didn't think it was so funny," Carina spat out. That caused Sarah's laughter to stop as she closed her makeup case.

"What do mean? What did he say?" Sarah asked with concern as she straightened to stand fully upright.

"Come on! Bryce is a pretty man. He's a smooth talker. Sounds like Bryce has stolen women away from Chuck before. Deja vu all over again?" Carina chided. "And with the way you've been prancing around here with Mr. GQ down there, I'm beginning to wonder myself," Carina added in an accusing manner.

"Now you hold on a damn minute," Sarah pointed at Carina. "Bryce Larkin, while he has been at least nice to me, is still a pompous ass. Chuck is ten times the man Bryce will ever be. Don't you think for one second that I fell for his bullshit. And I have never 'pranced' in my life, thank you very much. All of this crap is just a misunderstanding. Snippets of conversations taken out of context," Sarah declared indignantly.

"That's all fine and good, Blondie, but have you told Chuck that? And how do you think he's gonna feel when he sees you hanging all over Bryce and he's pawing all over you tonight at this gala? Huh? On top of all the shit he's had to see between you two today? He's a pretty trusting man, but he is still a man. And that man has some confidence issues when it comes to ...well...you. We know that he's far better than Bryce will ever be, but he doesn't see it like that. He sees what society tells him he should see. The beautiful blonde is supposed to be with the handsome Ken doll, not the nerd. A super hot, sexy, muscular, badass of a nerd, mind you. I'm sure he thinks there is no way he can compete with the likes of Bryce Larkin. I'm sure he doesn't see, in himself, the things we see. The things that make it a no brainer. He'll never see it, if you don't tell him. And I call 'Bullshit' on this 'taking it slow' crap. If you want him, then you need to step it up and go claim that shit, before some other bitches around her start getting antsy," Carina huffed at the end of her long tirade. "And by 'other bitches' I mean me and Zondra. You know...in case that wasn't clear...yeah..." she trailed off a smirk growing on her face.

Sarah just stood there in shock as she tried to process all of Carina's admissions. Then Sarah almost looked like she was going to be sick. "Oh God, Carina. You really think … you think he believes I would leave him for … Oh God. I gotta talk to him. Before the mission tonight, I have to talk to him, Carina!" Sarah was looking a little desperate, her face flushed and breathing faster. Carina stepped in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and giving her a firm shake.

"Sarah! First, you need to get dressed because you have to leave in fifteen minutes. He's downstairs getting stuff ready, so you might have some time. So go squeeze into whatever dress they brought you and I'll see if I can go wrangle tall, dark and nerdy," Carina said, pointing to the bedroom. Sarah tried to get her breathing under control and then went to the walk-in closet to get dressed. As Carina reached for the door knob to leave, Sarah popped her head out of the closet door.

"Oh, and just so we're clear. Either of you 'bitches' touch him and so help me…" Sarah pointed and glared at Carina. That made Carina burst out in laughter as she waved Sarah off and left the room. "Carina!"

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chuck had finished his second inventory of equipment for the van and the extra equipment for ...well... he hoped it would be for nothing. The events of the day kept rattling around in his head. When he was in the hospital, he and Sarah seemed to be getting so close. She seemed so certain about starting a relationship together. Maybe it was just some sort of guilt from his injury. Did she feel sorry for me, take pity on me? Or was it the guilt over the way she left things back in Irvine? Maybe now that they were back in the real world, with real world problems and real world distractions… like Bryce… maybe that was all over now. Once the initial shock of Venezuela was over, now she was seeing everything more clearly? Chuck just shook his head, trying to shake these thoughts as they would not serve him well tonight. He needed to stay focused on the mission tonight and make sure everyone was safe. He knew he was not the team lead anymore, but he felt it was his responsibility, while in the van, to keep his finger on the pulse of the mission to make sure everyone made it home safe.

Chuck walked through the kitchen toward the main staircase, a small rectangular case and a set of keys in hand. As he approached, he spotted Bryce walking down the grand staircase and he immediately felt a dagger sharp pain in his chest. Bryce was a handsome man, there was no doubt about that. Just ask Bryce. He'd be the first to tell you. He just oozed confidence and charm. He was smart, sophisticated and looked like he fell off the cover of Men's Health magazine or something. It was never more painfully obvious than right at this moment how seriously out matched Chuck was against Bryce. Just walking down the stairs was almost as if he were in slow motion and he should have background music. It royally pissed Chuck off, but he could only slump in resignation. There was little he could do or say to compete with the likes of that. He wasn't sure how he could deal with losing Sarah Walker twice in one lifetime, but he would have to, wouldn't he? As much as it would break his heart he could gain some small comfort in being able to watch over her and make sure she was safe. That would have to be enough.

Once Bryce reached the bottom, he held his arms out looking at Chuck with his stupid Bryce Larkin grin. He spun around, showing off the tailored Armani tuxedo, "Huh? Huh? Bond, eat your heart out, huh?" Bryce asked, seeking Chuck's appraisal. Chuck just gave him a flat smile and a nod.

"You look great, Bryce. Really great," Chuck relented, trying to keep any anger or frustration out of his voice. He cleared his throat to give himself a chance to refocus. "Here are the…" Chuck was cut short by a low whistle from Bryce. Chuck followed his gaze and he saw Sarah walking down the staircase. No. She was gliding. And in the most gorgeous red dress he had ever seen. He was certain his heart had stopped completely. It was like all time and space had come to a screeching halt to witness the procession of this angle as she descended the staircase. She had on her most dazzling smile that reached her azure eyes which literally sparkled like diamonds. She was so breathtaking he almost wanted to weep. All he could do was mutter a whispered "Woooow" as he stood slack jawed.

"Wow, Mrs. Anderson. You look amazing," Bryce offered with his smarmy, charm oozing everywhere. He was holding out his arms as if he were expecting her to come to him. Why wouldn't she really? Aside from the 'cover' relationship, the two were a perfect match. Chuck's heart sank further and his shoulders with it. His smile gone, he had to divert his eyes from Sarah. It really just hurt too much.

"Thanks 'Bruce'. You look nice too," Sarah replied. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, when it seemed obvious she was going to walk straight into Bryce's arms, she kept walking. She walked right up to Chuck, much to his surprise and bewilderment. She slid her hands up his chest and across his shoulders, clasping them together behind his neck. Her smile had turned much more mischievous as she pulled him down to press her lips to his. The pure electricity that arched between them was truly staggering. It took a moment for Chuck to recover and as she deepened the kiss she opened her mouth and licked across his teeth, to which Chuck welcomed the invitation. Chuck had no idea what was happening but he certainly loved it. Could he have misread things today? Was this her not so small way of showing him how she really felt? Could it be possible? Normally he was not one for PDA, but at this moment, caution went right out the window. He doubled-down and pulled her in even tighter, wanting to feel as much of her against him as possible. They entwined themselves in the passionate kiss for what seemed like days. After what was actually more like thirty, very awkward, seconds, Bryce cleared his throat to try and get their attention. They both ignored him and kept on kissing and holding each other. Suddenly from the kitchen came the shrill voice of reason...or maybe it was Carina.

"Alright you two! Do I need to get the hose?" Carina bellowed with a shit-eating grin on her face. That seemed to break the two from their endeavors as they stepped back from one another. Sarah, licking and smacking her swollen lips, her cheeks flushed, smoothed down her dress and adjusted her hair.

"So, uh, Chuck. Do you like?" She smiled and gestured to her dress as she twirled. Chuck drank every inch of her in and the look on his face just made her smile widen. His smile turned from sheer wonder to something a little more devious. He crossed his arms and shrugged.

"Meh. You know. If you're into that sorta thing," He tried to play it off without allowing his grin to split his face, but he was failing miserably. Sarah gaped in mock surprise as she playfully slapped him on the arm. That elicited a chuckle from him and he reached for her to pull her into another kiss. Immediately he was being smacked with a dish towel by Carina.

"Alright. Alright. Alright you two. Break it up. Jesus. Where's Bob Barker when you need him? We should get you two spayed and neutered. We got a party to crash, now get your asses movin'," she barked with no small amount of mirth in her voice.

"OK. OK. Geez. Enough with the hitting," Chuck exclaimed. He shook his head but still unable to wipe the stupid smile off his face. He straightened up and adjusted his shirt. "Your chariot awaits, M'lady," as he handed her the keys he was carrying. She graciously accepted with a twinkle in her eye. "I'm sorry it's not too exotic, but you're not rich socialites. So a Lexus ES 350 will have to do. I know, the sacrifices we make, right?" He chuckled at the absurdity. " And here are your earwigs," he opened the small box and offered an earwig to Sarah and then Bryce. "I added microdot GPS trackers to the earwigs and your keychain, just in case. When your clothes arrived, I took the liberty of adding microdots to the hem of Sarah's dress, along with the heel of both you and Bryce's shoes. So, with that, you guys should get going. We'll be about a block and a half away and we'll do mic checks just before you exit the car at the valet." Chuck pulled a small makeup compact from his pocket and handed it to Sarah. "The bugs you need to plant are inside the compact. It pulls open on the hinge side to gain access to the bugs." Bryce and Sarah looked between each other, both seemed impressed with Chuck's thoroughness. "OH!" Chuck exclaimed and his smile turned down a little as he dug in his pocket. "I almost forgot," Chuck swallowed hard before continuing. "Here are your rings," Chuck reluctantly passed out the fake wedding bands to Sarah and Bryce. Bryce had a smirk on his face as he put it on and held his hand out to admire it. Sarah's face was flat and her expression unreadable but she did manage a tight smile when she took the ring from Chuck. She put the ring on and then folded her hands together in front of her, concealing the ring from view. Chuck took in a calming breath,"You uh...you two need anything else?" Chuck asked.

"No. No. I think that does it. Thanks, Chuck," Sarah smiled up at him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

'Yeah. Thanks, man. But I'm not kissing you," Bryce smirked as they made their way to the garage.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Check. Check. Check One. Sibilance. Sibilance," Chuck spoke through his headset, sitting in the surveillance van.

"For Christ sake, Bartowski. We hear you!" Casey growled into the mic contained in his watch. Chuck just gave a wry smile, enjoying how easily he could get under the big man's skin.

"Hear you loud and clear, Buddy. Nicely done, by the way," Bryce chuckled into his mic.

"I'm guessing there is some reference I am not getting, but I can hear you just fine too," Sarah replied. Zondra and Carina were rolling their eyes at one another as they sat in the van, watching and listening. Bryce and Sarah left the car with the valet and were walking into the consulate and were greeted by some staff and dignitaries. They began to mingle and rub elbows with the attendees.

"So...um...how do I put this delicately?" Carina asked almost to herself.

"Why start now?" Chuck interjected, not even turning to look at her. That elicited choking laughter from Zondra as she almost fell out of her chair and the unexpectedness of the response. Carina just gave her a flat stare.

"Alright. Fine. How does a jarhead like you learn how to do all … this," Carina waved her hand toward the communications and computer equipment in front of Chuck.

"I read a Wikihow on it last night," Chuck replied, still not looking away from his screens, his fingers flying over the keyboard, flipping between screens.

"I'm sorry. What?" Carina asked in surprise, her voice a little more serious than normal for Carina.

Chuck just snorted at her response. Zondra did likewise, seeing that he had gotten Carina again.

"Guys, the man approaching from your three o'clock,dark hair, glasses. That's Ambassador Tihomir Stoytchev, and the blonde woman with him is his wife, Dr. Lubka Stoytchev. She's a neurologist. They met in high school but didn't start dating until after senior prom and they've been together ever since. They seem very happily married with two grown children," Chuck spouted out as if from the top of his head. "Oh and mention your fascination with their monasteries in Bulgaria as part of your curation conversations. Rila, Troyan and Ivanovo Rock are your favorites." Carina and Zondra looked on in shocked silence as Chuck worked. Everyone else on comms were trying to maintain their covers but were equally as surprised.

"Relax. I wasn't always a, what was it… jarhead?" Chuck looked over his shoulder at Carina, an amused smirk on his face. "In a previous life I was on a full scholarship to Stanford. Let's just say computers and I go way back," Chuck mused as he turned back to his work. Flipping through security cameras and keeping an eye on his teammates.

"There! Camera 7. That's Bouchard," Zondra exclaimed, pointing at the screen.

"Yep. Guys we got Bouchard entering the salon through the north entrance. The very striking, tall, bald, African woman with him will probably give it away," Chuck interjected. "Give me a second." Chuck worked furiously with multiple applications opening and closing, cycling through tabs. "Ah ha! Zaria Dauda. She's...Wow. She's kind of a badass. If she's arm candy, she's more like an Atomic Fireball. She's been associated with Islamic terrorist groups in Sierra Leone, militant groups in Ivory Coast, Angola, Liberia, Ghana, and some Basque separatists groups for a while. Jesus this lady gets around and she leaves a wake of destruction behind her. They call her the 'Black….Mambaaaaaaaaaa'," Chuck let the name trail on for a while before stopping. He paused waiting for a response. He looked to Carina and Zondra and they just gave him raised eyebrows. He could even see a death glare from Casey to one of the cameras."What? MegaMind? Anyone? No? Gah...Anyway. That's the nickname she's earned at any rate. So give her a wide berth please," Chuck pleaded with the team over the comms. Chuck could see Sarah look up to the camera nearest her and as she took a drink of champagne he could see her nod slightly. That gave him some sense of relief that she could hear him.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Sarah Andersen. I'm from the BMNECC, the Bulgarian Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center in West Homestead, Pennsylvania. I am the curator there and let me tell you what an honor it is to be invited her this evening, Mr. Ambassador," Sarah shook the Ambassadors hand. "This is my husband, Bruce," she gestured to Bryce who shook the man's hand.

The ambassador spoke in a mild accent, "It is such a pleasure to meet you both. This is my lovely and brilliant wife, Lubka," He gestured to his wife and she shook both Sarah and Bryce's hands. Bryce lingering a bit longer than was really necessary, brandishing his million dollar smile.

"It is wonderful that you could join us. And thank you for the great work you do in promoting our rich national and cultural heritage. Have you ever had occasion to visit Bulgaria, Mrs. Andersen?" the older woman inquired.

"Sarah. Please. And yes I've had the privilege, though regrettably it was with a tour group so I didn't have much time to explore as we were on a rather tight schedule. I did get to visit some of your amazing monasteries. Troyan, Rila and Ivanovo Rock was my favorite," Sarah confessed with such sincerity that Chuck believed every word. He was listening intently at the conversation and almost as if he knew the script, he flipped to his web browser.

"OK. Ivanovo Rock is a rock-hewed church/monastery complex along the banks of the Rusenski Lom to the north near the Romanian border. The 13th century structures have medieval frescoes or murals that still survive. That is what makes it unique among the many Bulgarian monasteries," Chuck finished trying to catch his breath as he rattled all of that off in a single breath.

"Ah, Ivanovo Rock is my favorite as well. It is so breathtaking," Lubka exclaimed clasping her chest as she mused.

"The frescoes that still remain are so inspiring. That they have survived this long is a testament to the devotion to care, artistry and craftsmanship of their creators and caretakers. Very moving to experience," Sarah added, exuding admiration. Damn she was good Chuck thought as he witnessed.

"Ugg. Tihomir I love this woman. Come. I think you need a refill," She took Sarah by the elbow and lead her toward the large bar that had be setup. "Are you familiar with Bulgarian wines? Don't worry. You will be," she continued. "Excuse me," she declared, trying to get the attention of the server. The large man turned around to address the older woman. Not surprisingly, the large man was John Casey.

"Yes, Ma'am. How may I help you?" he inquired in the most friendly voice any of them had ever witnessed come from Casey. Sarah's eyes even widened for a brief moment.

"We will need four glasses of the Elenovo Mavrud, please," she requested with a kindness not often seen from women of her station. She turned to Bryce and Sarah, "I hope you don't mind if I ordered for you. I think you will find this wine most exceptional. While the monasteries of Bulgaria are magnificent, you must visit the Uva Nestum Wine & Spa. The winery, the vineyards, the hotel and the spa. The entire area is breathtaking. Uh, and the wine. The resorts on the Black Sea are amazing, but the Uva Nestum Wine & Spa, for the wine alone, is to die for," Lubka mused. Casey passed out the glasses of wine and Lubka and Sarah both took sips and moaned simultaneously. Lubka just smiled and nodded in affirmation.

"Mrs. Stoytchev, you were right. This is amazing," Sarah gushed.

"Bah. Please call me Lubka. No need for such formalities among friends, yes?" the older woman waved her off.

"Thank you, Lubka," Sarah gave a slight bow. "The Embassy is quite lovely. Did you have a hand in decorating?" Sarah inquired.

"As a matter of fact, I was able to add some personal touches. I had much more free reign over our private home though. Please, let me show you some of the other rooms, "Lubka chimed as she started walking toward a hallway. Sarah turned to see Bryce facing away from her, flirting with a tall brunette who was practically spilling out of her dress. He was trying to talk in Bulgarian but his pronounciation was terrible. Sarah rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Come along, Dear," she exclaimed through gritted teeth. "She's going to show us some of the other rooms," she said in a very deliberate tone. As she turned she locked eyes with Casey and they rolled their eyes in unison. As the walked a short ways behind Lubka, she leaned toward Bryce and whispered, "I thought I told you to stop. You are terrible at Bulgarian. What did I say about rolling your Rs? Huh? You're doing it all wrong and you sound like an idiot. I mean seriously? You say you speak fluent Spanish and Italian. They use trills too, but you still bumble it when you 'try' to speak Bulgarian," Sarah spouted through gritted teeth and a forced smile.

Chuck and Carina, listening to Sarah and Bryce's conversation from the van turned to each other and simultaneously let out an exaggerated "Ohhhhh…" with looks of realization.

"Speaking of which...Really? Miss Big Boobs back there? Could you be a little more obvious? You're going to blow our cover...'Bruce'," Sarah finished with no small amount of frustration heavily laced with sarcasm.

"Wow. Jealous are we? Don't worry 'honey', I'm still committed to us," Bryce responded with a smirk, pulling her in close and kissing her on the cheek. He then let out a fake laugh as if amused at something she had said. "Oh, sweetheart. You are incorrigible." At that, Lubka turned to look over her shoulder at them with a wry smile. Sarah was doing her best to put on a smile but she was ready to kill Bryce where he stood.

"This is the library. I had these draperies imported…" Lubka went on about the various items that she had procured to try to make the place less stuffy. Sarah pulled out her compact and pretended to make some touch ups while pulling some of the small bugs from the hidden compartment. Bryce followed Lubka around the room, feigning interest in her stories to afford Sarah some time to plant some bugs. Choosing opportune places where people may congregate to converse, she skillfully hid the bugs. Once finished she joined them as they continued the tour. The repeated the process in several other rooms as they made their way around the first floor.

"Well, I should get back to the guests. I'm sure Tihomir is wondering where I ran off to. He will undoubtedly need rescuing from some dreadfully boring conversation. Please, come join us," the older woman lead them back to the parlor and salon area. Mingling in the the crowd, Sarah and Bryce moved to a vacant corner.

"OK, Chuck. Things are in place. How are we looking from your end?" Sarah asked.

"Bugs are picking up loud and clear. I have...uh…'commandeered' the use of their cameras but I am letting them retain control of them for the moment so as not to raise suspicion. I am pulling my own recordings from their cameras so we won't need to worry about pulling them from their security backups," Chuck explained.

"I've been running facial recognition checks against the guests based on Chuck's video feeds and so far nothing suspicious, aside from Bouchard and his tramp," Zondra added.

"Hey guys. It looks like Bouchard and his lady friend are splitting off toward the kitchen," Casey interrupted. "Are their any meeting spaces back that way?"

"Uh…. according to the layout I got here, courtesy of the City Planner's office, there is only a large walk-in pantry and then the exit to the alley behind the building. There is a small parking area for deliveries, etc." Chuck chimed in.

"When the hell did you have time to get schematics from the City Planner's office?" Bryce chided.

"Uh...about the same time you were talking to that woman's tits if I recall," Chuck fired back without missing a beat. Sarah nearly spit champagne at Bryce but managed to regain her composure. Zondra and Carina broke into laughter. Casey's mic must have been open because a combination grunt and snort came through before it was cut off. "There is one camera back there and it looks like there is only a catering van out there," Chuck continued.

Just then a vehicle pulled into the frame and parked behind the delivery van. "Shit! A black Suburban just pulled up behind the building. It looks like the meeting might be going down out there. Dammit. I got no audio out there. Ok. Ok. Ok. Wait!" Chuck started to dig through a duffle. "Here is a parabolic mic. You two, see if you can get close enough to get me some audio on that alley. Remember, Bouchard knows your faces, so … yeah. Right. You know. Sorry…. Be safe, OK?" Chuck gave a slightly embarrassed half-smile.

"He's just so cute when he's trying to be protective," Carina pinched his cheek, talking as if to an infant. "Don't worry Dad. We'll be home before midnight. Don't wait up," Carina chuckled as the two women checked and stowed their side arms and hid the microphone under a jacket as they exited the van.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Bryce leaned in toward the opposite ear of Sarah's earwig and whispered, 'Why is it he seems to be calling all the shots here. We're the ones sticking our necks out here being in the thick of it," Bryce turned his head and briefly greeted a beautiful young woman passing by, brandishing his megawatt smile. "Anyway. Where was I?" Sarah's only response was an eye roll and exasperated sigh. "Oh right. I mean, I'm sure I could walk out there, talk my way close enough to them to drop a bug and get back without them any the wiser. I'm a damn trained professional and he's a...a… ya know, I have no idea what the hell he is or why he's even here. College dropout. Been doing who the hell knows what for years…probably back at that dead end job at the BuyMore he had in college, sleeping on somebody's couch…" Bryce trailed off. Sarah couldn't help but sense that Bryce was really threatened by Chuck for some reason. Whatever it was, it was beginning to piss Sarah off. She really didn't want to get into it here while they were in the middle of this gala event, on a mission. _Professional my ass, Larkin._

"You know what? Screw this. I'm going to go do something productive instead of just stand around here waiting," Bryce griped as he drained the last of his flute of champagne. Setting the empty glass on a nearby table, he started to walk away.

"Where the hell are you going?" Sarah questioned, grabbing his arm to turn him back toward her. He furrowed his brow as he pulled his arm out of her grip. Smoothing the sleeve of his jacket, his oily grin resurfaced.

"I'm heading upstairs to check out their private offices. Plant some bugs. You're welcome to join me. I'm sure we could find ... something … to occupy our time," his smirk grew more mischievous as he bounced an eyebrow. He leaned in toward her ear again, his lip brushing her cheek as he spoke, "You know... mission sex … is so exhilarating; primal even," he whispered breathily in her ear. He backed away slowly with a devious, lust-filled smirk across his face.

Sarah put on the sweetest smile she could muster and placed a gentle hand of Bryce's cheek. Using her thumb, she brushed across his bottom lip as she moved in close to his ear this time. The closer she got the tighter her grip on his face became to the point that when she reached his ear, she was pushing so hard, Bryce could swear his lip was bleeding. "There is only one man that might ever have that satisfaction...and that will...NEVER...be you. Do you understand me?" she hissed. Clearly in pain, he gave a small, quick nod and she released him and backed away. She admired the shocked look on his face as putting Bryce in his place felt very satisfying. "Trained professional, huh? Real professional there, 'Bruce'," Sarah chided as she walked toward the bar where Casey was serving the droves of people. She could see the scowl on Larkin's face as he rubbed at his jaw, running his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip. He then stormed off in a huff. When she reached the bar, she caught Casey's questioning gaze and she just rolled her eyes in exasperation.

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Chuck couldn't hear what Bryce was saying, but he could certainly see what he was doing, from several camera angles. Not one of them looked good. He kept chanting in his head 'It's only for the cover. It's only for the cover.' He busied himself checking the other cameras, monitoring the loading dock and other areas to make sure that no new players had entered the equation. However his focus was always drawn back to the cameras that were on Sarah and Bryce. He watched Bryce pull away and Chuck saw the patented Bryce Larkin 'deal-closer' grin. He was quite familiar with that look from Stanford and it made his stomach tighten and his jaw clench. He watched on, much like you can't help but stare as you pass by a wreck on the side of the road. He could see a huge smile on Sarah's face as she reached out to cup Bryce's face. This was pure torture, but he couldn't force himself to look away. Chuck could see four separate camera feeds from the room simultaneously, witnessing this unfold from every angle. Almost as if in slow motion, Chuck watched on as Sarah moved into Bryce's face. From all of the cameras it appeared that they were locked in a heated kiss, he imagined not unlike what he had experienced himself at the house earlier in the evening. His heart and stomach sank to the floor and he had trouble catching his breath. Chuck grimaced at the thought that maybe he was just the practice for the main event. As the two parted, he caught a look of surprise on Bryce's face as he put his hand to his lips. From a different angle he could see what looked to him as a predatory smirk on Sarah's face. Chuck didn't know what to think at this relationship with Sarah was a roller coaster of emotions and with only being on the team for a day, was this just a sign of things to come?

Chuck watched Bryce hastily exit the room, pulling at the neck of his tuxedo shirt, understandably a little hot under the collar after a kiss like that. He followed his progress through the house and up the grand stairs to the second floor where there was a small sitting area at the top where several guests were congregating, admiring the artwork and decor. Bryce slipped into a hallway out of the view of cameras and was gone. There were no surveillance cameras in the private offices of the Embassy. Normally the second floor would have been cordoned off for events such as this, but the large number of guests must have caused them to open up additional space.

Chuck took a cleansing breath and opened his mic, "Bryce, I have no cameras in your vicinity to cover you." Chuck waited for a moment but there was no response. "Bryce. Do you copy?" Chuck added. After a moment Bryce came into camera view at the opening of the hallway he had entered. He looked at the closest camera and carefully gestured to his ear and shook his head no. Bryce then walked back down the hallway out of sight again.

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"He is some piece of work. For someone who is supposed to be great at 'what he does', he's doing a pretty shitty job so far," Sarah vented to Casey once the guests had thinned out. "What is it that he is supposed to be so good at anyway? Is douchebag a marketable skill?" Sarah chuckled to herself. Casey grunted with a wry smile as he wiped the counter down.

"To be honest, it wasn't my call. I wanted Zondra on the team and the CIA brass said that they were a package deal." Casey shrugged. "What's the matter? Trying to 'consummate' the marriage, Mrs. Anderson?" Casey chuckled with a smirk. Sarah was not amused as she gave him a rather dirty look and then sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I don't know that he is cut out for this team. I mean, is he really an agent? I think we could do without him. I don't even trust him to be in the van," Sarah huffed as she took a long drink of champagne.

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Chuck had turned up the comms such that he could now hear Sarah and Casey's earwigs more clearly, so that he could converse with both of them without them having to use their watch or bracelet mics. He caught the middle of their conversation and listed to Sarah.

"_I don't know that he is cut out for this team. I mean, is he really an agent? I think we could do without him. I don't even trust him to be in the van."_

_Don't trust who to be in the van? _Chuck looked around and he was the only one here. Plus how many 'hims' were there on the team. Clearly she wasn't talking about Casey. Chuck got a lump in his throat at the realization. He wasn't a real agent. Not like the rest of them had been. He didn't have their training. Maybe he wasn't being professional enough. Maybe he wasn't doing a good enough job at being their "analyst" since this was his first time in this context doing this sort of work. He tried to steal his emotions because he still had a job to do. He opened up his mic and addressed the two.

"Guys. Bryce has gone upstairs to the private office areas and I don't have any visibility to those areas. He also indicated that his comm was not working, so I have completely lost contact with him." Chuck delivered his news with as flat and professional a tone as he could.

Casey grunted but Chuck couldn't quite decipher the meaning behind it. "Roger. Walker, go check it out and make sure he's not getting into any trouble. Just make sure you put a sock on the door." Casey gave a one syllable chuckle and went back to tending the bar.

Sarah just sighed and pushed off from the bar and walked toward the direction Bryce had gone. With annoyance in her voice she replied, "Thanks Chuck."

Chuck cut his mic.. He closed his eyes and blew out a long sigh. He then opened his mic to Carina and Zondra and turned their volume up to focus on them. "Carina? Zondra? What's your sitrep?"

"We're down the alley from the Embassy. Bouchard and his bitch just showed up and their doing their hellos. Carina has a clean shot at them and is recording." Zondra relayed.

"Great. Keep me in the loop."

Chuck cut his mic and kept cycling through the cameras. He watched Sarah reach the top of the stairs. He opened his mic just to Sarah's comm, "He went down the hallway to the right." She nodded and he watched her turn down the right hallway and disappear. Casey's 'sock on the door' comment came to mind and gave Chuck a brief flashback to college and Bryce's frequent use of that signaling method but he shock that thought away. He continued to monitor the camera feeds and would occasionally run a photo through the government databases to see if they got a hit. So far no red flags were raised. A mic began to crackle to life but it was quiet. He could see that it was Sarah's mic, so he turned the volume up to try to make it out.

"Sarah. I can barely hear you. Repeat." Chuck waited for a response. Her reply was quiet and rushed.

"Chuck! It's a setup. You gotta get outta there, now!" Chuck immediately pulled up the feed from the backup camera and dash camera on the surveillance van. He could see men in black moving between the cars in the small corner parking lot he was in. It looked like a six man team converging on the van. A large SUV was blocking the van it it's parking spot. Fuck! He could hear more chatter on the comms and hurriedly turned up the volume.

"We got more company! Another black SUV showed up in the alley. These folks look like they mean business," Carina rushed out.

"Operation has been compromised! Casey, Walker's in trouble on the second floor, to the right. Extract and meet at rendezvous Delta. Carina, Zondra abort and proceed to rendezvous. Now!" Chuck commanded.

"Chuck, we'll just head back to your location," Zondra interjected.

"Negative! The van has been compromised. There's no time." Chuck's tone was very stern and solemn. "They're here…"

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A/N2: Cliffhanger? Too cliche? I have to have some way to keep you all coming back for more. :) I appreciate all the reviews and PMs. Keep them coming. It definitely bolsters my motivation.

PSA, if you are not already a member, I encourage you to join the "Chuck Fanfiction" group on Facebook. It is an amazing group of authors, readers and then there's me. This group is only for Chuck Fanfiction discussion, as the name suggests. Share links to your own work or discuss your favorite fics. Maybe even post a request or fic challenge to shake things up. Look forward to seeing you there.

JW


	9. Chapter 9

Welcome to Chapter 9. Hope I didn't make you wait too long. I mean...a WHOLE day. I hope you enjoy and thank you for all the reviews. :)

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck...still.

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Chapter 9

Sarah walked up the grand staircase of the Bulgarian Embassy in an attempt to locate her wayward partner, Bryce Larkin. As she approached the top, she realized she had no idea which way he had gone. As if by some omniscient power, Chuck's voice came over her earwig.

"_He went down the hallway to the right." _

Chuck couldn't see her face but she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at hearing his voice at that moment. She just nodded her head as she know he could at least see that much. She took the hallway to the right and quietly listened to the first door as she made her way down the hall. Hearing nothing, she checked the handle. It gave way and she quietly opened the door to the darkened room. She entered and closed the door behind her, only them turning on the light. It was a small office. There were a few pictures on the desk but they were not of the Ambassador, like an assistant or some other administrative personnel. She looked over some of the files on the desk but finding nothing of real interest, she made her way to a door that looked as though it may lead to an adjoining office. She listened at the door and this time she could actually hear a voice. She listened more intently, placing her ear at the keyhole of the older oak door afforded he a slightly better advantage. She was certain now that it was Bryce Larkin.

"_Yes, I'm sure….No. Nooo! That is not what we agreed on! ….Look, I'm assume all the risk here. This … 'new arrangement' is not adequate for me to expose myself like thi-…. Yes. Uh-huh. Yes. Now that's more like it. Yes...and you have the account number?...Good. Good… ...What about my exit out of here? Are the plan still in order?...Right…..Uh huh….. Very good. I look forward to working with you Mr. D. OK… Right…...Well there are two female agents. Miller and Rizzo. They're somewhere in the alley behind the Embassy eavesdropping on Bouchard…...Right, I know. They have no idea. The two inside, Casey and Walker, they're clueless too. They're too wrapped up in their covers or watching for some 'shady characters' to be of any concern to us... Right…. Oh, there's a large white surveillance van parked in the lot at the corner of Florida and Massachusetts Avenues….Right. There's just one nerdy analyst in there. Shouldn't be a problem at all. Probably won't even know it's coming…. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, that's the one. Such a moron. He needs to go…. They all need to go really. But I'd like you to pull him out and….make an 'example' of him. He'll probably beg and scream like a girl."_

_SHIT! _"Chuck! Chuck can you hear me?" she turned from the door and whispered into her mic as loud as she dared. "Chuck?"

"Sarah. I can barely hear you. Repeat." Chuck replied, concern evident in his voice.

"Chuck! It's a setup. You gotta get outta there, now!"

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"What the fuck are they talking about? They're just standing around, smoking with their thumbs up their ass," Zondra whispered over Carina's shoulder, clearly losing her patience.

Carina moved one side of the headphone's from the mic off her ear, "Sounds like they're waiting for someone else. Some guy named Bravo or something. Maybe it's a code name? I dunno. It looks like there are still some guys just hanging out in that SUV too. They seem to be in no big hurry at the moment….trash talking the Capitals. Not big D.C. hockey fans apparently," Carina chuckled. "Wait, wait. Hold on..." she held up a finger. "They said everything is a go. Bravo is ten seconds out. So looks like we'll see who this Bravo guy is in just a sec." As if right on queue, a large vehicle entered the alley way at the opposite end of the block and was heading toward them. The headlights obscured much of the features of the vehicle, but once it pulled into the light of the loading area, they could see that it was another black SUV. It came to an abrupt stop and six men in black tactical gear quickly exited the SUV.

Carina keyed up her mic, "We got more company! Another black SUV showed up in the alley. These folks look like they mean business."

"Shit. Whadda you wanna bet that 'Bravo' was TEAM Bravo? Does that mean there is an Alpha somewhere?" Zondra asked.

Chuck's voice came over their comms and he sounded all business. "Operation has been compromised! Casey, Walker's in trouble on the second floor, to the right. Extract and meet at rendezvous Delta. Carina, Zondra abort and proceed to rendezvous. Now!" Carina and Zondra just looked at one another in surprise. They had never heard him sound so commanding and confident. But running off to the rendezvous locations seemed a bit excessive.

"Chuck, we'll just head back to your location," Zondra interjected, looking quizzically at Carina, wondering what his issue was.

"Negative! The van has been compromised. There's no time." Chuck's tone was very stern and solemn. "They're here…"

Carina and Zondra eyes widened in panic. They immediately started packing their gear together to vacate the area. Just as they were about to start to sneak their way back down the alley, away from the newly formed crowd of thugs, another black SUV pulled into the alley and stopped, effectively blocking their only escape.

"Well, fuck," Carina exclaimed.

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Casey excused himself and made his way quickly to the stairs and took them two at a time. He wheeled around the corner and almost plowed into Sarah as she was exiting the room. She waved her hands at him frantically, motioning for him to go back the way he came. When they got to the stairs, she got close and talked quietly enough to not be overheard.

"I overheard Larkin brokering some deal. Sounds like money and some sort of exit strategy. He gave us all up, Casey! They know where we are," Sarah explained to Casey, the anger and betrayal painted across her face.

"I'm gonna shoot that fucker right in his pretty face," Casey grunted out through clenched teeth. He started to push past Sarah to go back after Larkin when Sarah pressed a firm hand to his chest.

"We can't just leave Chuck and the others out there to die," her lip quivering slightly but she was still holding firm. "I'd love to see that bastard dead too, but we need to help them," Sarah pleaded. The look on her face and the truth in her words broke through Casey's anger and he slumped slightly in resignation.

"Y-you're right. Fuck the rendezvous. Come on. Let's head out the back and see if we can give Zondra and Carina a hand," Casey ordered as he started down the stairs.

"B-but what about Chuck?" Sarah exclaimed, fear in her voice.

"Sister, he's too far away for one. Second…" Casey gave a knowing smirk, "...I think they're gonna be the ones that'll need the help." Sarah just raised her eyes in surprise. While she was impressed by Chuck's abilities in Venezuela, for Casey of all people to put that sort of faith in someone, that was really saying something. She gave a half-hearted shrug and just nodded her acceptance of his answer. They made their way into the kitchen where there were catering staff plating hors d'oeuvres and bustling about the kitchen.

"Guys! Somebody punched that bitchy, old, hag Battenberg right in her smug face. Now there's a huge fight in the front parlor," Casey excitedly pointing toward the door. The servers and staff all looked like Christmas came early and made for the door to see things first hand. The Bulgarian pseudo-aristocrat truly was an insufferable woman and no doubt had plagued the wait staff as much as she did him at the bar. Casey just smirked and walked to a catering tote that was off to the side and unlocked it with a key from his pocket. Inside were two tactical vests, two MP5s with spare magazines and two Sig P229s with spare magazines as well. Sarah just whistled in awe and immediately donned one of the vests.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo'

Chuck was closing up his laptop and stuffing it into a black duffel. Chuck patted himself to make sure he had everything. Feeling his pants made him jump as he pulled a small case and a watch out of his pocket. He removed his headset and from the case he pulled his earwig out, put it in his ear and then he quickly slipping on the watch. It was activated in enough time that he caught Zondra's reply over the earwig.

"Chuck, we'll just head back to your location," Zondra interjected.

He keyed up his watch mic, "Negative! The van has been compromised. There's no time." His tone was very stern and solemn. "They're here…". He then grabbed a MP5SD from the duffel and stuffed spare magazines in each back pocket. He pulled a flashbang from the bag and then threw the duffel in the front passenger seat. Pausing for a moment, he grabbed the noise canceling headset he had been using tonight, and put it back on but unplugged it from the console and stuffed the cord down his shirt. He shrugged to himself, "Better than nothing I guess". He slunk into the driver seat, pulled the pin on the flashbang and waited. Slouched down in the seat, he was staring at the side mirrors, trying to time his actions. There were two coming up the passenger side toward the sliding door, one coming up the driver's side and what looked like two or three around the back doors of the large Ford Transit 350 van he was sitting in.

Over his earwig he could hear Carina come through with definite stress in her voice, "Guys. I dunno if you can hear me but we got real trouble. We're boxed in by another SUV. We have no clear escape route." Chuck let out a sigh of frustration at this whole shitshow. He could not let his team down. He felt it was his job to protect them, one way or another. His "analyst" job had ultimately proven to be useless and ineffective. This he couldn't afford to screw up too. His team...his friends needed his help. Chuck closed his eyes and took a long breath in. He then looked around to survey his surroundings one last time.

Chuck activated his watch mic, "Hang tight... I'm comin'," he spoke with conviction. He could hear a staggered inhale over the comms, but he obviously couldn't tell who it was. He could barely make out the whisper from just outside the driver's side door, "_On three"_. Chuck played through the procedure over and over in his mind, practicing his motions. He counted down with the man outside and on 'one', Chuck threw the flashbang over his shoulder into the back and then kicked the driver's side door open as hard as he could. The door opened with such force it pinned the man beside him against the adjacent car, effectively wedging the man in place, the door wide open. As the sliding passenger door and the rear doors burst opened, Chuck rolled to the ground, landing on his back with his MP5SD aimed at the clearly shocked man pinned in front of him. Chuck fired off a three-shot burst into the man and then closed his eyes tight. Simultaneously, the flashbang exploded inside the van. The deafening explosion racked Chuck's body. The blast being contained inside the van and the very minor protection offered from his headset only left Chuck temporarily deafened, but not quite as dazed as he might otherwise have been. Still on his back he immediately lowered his weapon under the van and fired bursts at the legs and ankles of the men on the opposite side of the van and to the rear. The blood spray and bodies collapsing to the ground were the only indicators that his gun was actually doing anything beyond just bouncing in his hand, the ringing in his ears the only sound. He quickly rolled to his hands and knees and grimaced as he leapt to his feet, his left thigh and shoulder protesting. He stumbled to the rear of the van to find three men, writhing on the ground, deaf, blind and shot in the legs. Chuck efficiently put them out of their misery and then moved to take cover behind the car adjacent to the passenger side.

Chuck took a quick second to try to shake off the slight vertigo. He reloaded his MP5 and then peaked at the situation on the passenger side. One man was trying to get up and the other still too dazed and in pain to do much more than roll on the ground. Before they could gain any advantage, Chuck put a bullet in each, ending their struggle. He pulled the bodies of the men into the open doors of the van and closed it up. Pausing for a moment to catch his breath from the strenuous activity, he pulled his duffel bag from the van's passenger seat and ran to the SUV that was blocking him in.

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"What the fuck is going on? This was supposed to be a simple op. Record some conversations. Get in, get out. Nobody's the wiser. How the hell did this go pear-shaped so damn fast?" Zondra fumed. "Walker's in trouble apparently. Chuck is…" Zondra sighed, clearly trying not to freak out as she ran her hands through her hair. "And where fuck is Larkin in all this shit? Huh? So help me, if he is off bangin' some tramp in a closet again…" She trailed off, beyond exasperated.

"Not much we can do about any of that now. We don't really have a lot of options here. We got two pistols between us and they have automatic weapons. Not to mention whoever is in this new SUV at the end of the block," Carina sighed and covered her face, leaning her back against the wall of the building. She activated her watch mic. "Guys. I dunno if you can hear me but we got real trouble. We're boxed in by another SUV. We have no clear escape route." She cut her mic and looked up to the sky, hoping...praying for some kind of answer. After a few moments a response came through.

"Hang tight... I'm comin'." It was Chuck's voice, full of conviction. A gasp could be heard over the comms as well, but she was uncertain who it could be. Carina wanted to believe Chuck, but he had his own issues to deal with it seemed. It still brought a smile to her face. He was still thinking of others, even when faced with terrible situations of his own. A loud explosion shattered the night's silence, causing both Zondra and Carina to jump. They looked at one another and then they heard faint gunfire. Their faces contorted in fear for their friend and teammate.

"Please be OK, Chuck. Blondie's gonna need you," Carina sighed.

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Sarah and Casey were finishing putting on their vests when the distressed voice of Carina came over their comms. "Guys. I dunno if you can hear me but we got real trouble. We're boxed in by another SUV. We have no clear escape route." Sarah looked to Casey, worry on her face. She placed spare magazines in her vest and opened her bracelet mic to respond to her friends call. Before she could speak, she heard Chuck's voice come through.

"Hang tight... I'm comin'."

She let out a gasp and covered her mouth, causing her mic to cut off. He was still alive. Had he survived the attack or was he still in danger? Just then, they heard what sounded like a car backfire fairly nearby and Sarah jumped. Casey looked at her and nodded. He handed her a Sig P229 which she slid into the hoster attached to the vest. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She could not lose Chuck. Not after all that they had gone through to get where they were now. There was so much she needed to say to him. She took in a long shaky breath and then checked her MP5's magazine and prepared for the worst. Casey finished doing the same.

"Showtime," Casey grinned. They stacked up on either side of the door and Casey peered out the peephole in the back door. There was about eight to ten yards from the back door to the black SUVs in the alley. The large catering van was about ten feet from the door and was parked in front of one of the SUVs. That would offer them good cover if they could get there. A quick count showed about twelve people: Bouchard, Dauda his bodyguard/date, four beefy guys in suits and a six man TAC team. Everyone was loading up and getting ready to go hunting it looked like. "OK. We got about a dozen here. Run for the van and I'll cover. Then you cover me. We go on three," Casey commanded. Sarah just nodded her understanding and readied herself. Sprinting in heels was not easy feat, but she'd had lots of practice. Casey counted down silently with his fingers. When he hit 'one' he threw the door open and she ran for the van. She was nearly there before anyone even noticed. Casey opened fire and people started to scatter. They began taking up cover behind the SUVs. Sarah got into place near the front bumper of the catering van so that she was behind the engine block. She began laying down cover fire allowing Casey to sprint to her location.

Casey stopped at the front of the van, keeping low. He pointed to himself and then the passenger side and then motioned for her to cover from her current location. Sarah understood and began again to lay down some suppression fire toward the SUVs. She quickly rolled back toward the center of the van as a barrage of gunfire peppered the front quarter panel of the van. Sarah took the opportunity to reload and take a breath. She rolled back to the corner of the van and began to take up her task of supplying cover fire. By now, Casey was offering flanking fire from the rear of the van and several people had dropped. At the moment, everyone remaining was well entrenched in their covers, so they may be there for a while.

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Gun fire erupted down the alley and Zondra had never heard such sweeter music. It must be Casey she mused, thankful that help was on the way. The intensity of the gunfire grew for a moment and then died off. Zondra then noticed two people running down the alley in their direction. She slapped Carina's arm to get her attention and pointed. It was rather dark but it was evident that this was Bouchard and his 'companion'.

"Looks like someone opted to live to fight another day," Zondra quipped. Looking at one another, they just nodded and got into a crouched position, waiting for the two to get closer. As the fleeing Bouchard approached, Zondra was momentarily distracted by the roar of a car engine down the alley to their left, near the newly arrived SUV. Just as she turned to investigate, she could see armed men starting to exit the SUV. Now the other shoe was really about to drop. Just as her heart was sinking, in a flash, another black SUV came careening across the sidewalk and slammed into the unsuspecting men, plowing their SUV at least five feet before it was pinned against a tree. The crash was so sudden and violent that Zondra, Carina and the two running down the alley all stopped in shock. Taking that moment to gain the advantage, Zondra drug Carina out of her shock and toward their targets. Catching them completely unaware, Zondra tackled Bouchard at the knees and Carina, a flying shoulder block to Dauda, sending them both to the ground.

A brawl between them ensued, Zondra on top of Bouchard, pummeling him in the face. Dauda was quicker to recover and she and Carina squared off. Punches and kicks were thrown and blocked but Dauda got in a couple of lucky shots, producing a small trickle of blood from the corner of Carina's mouth. This enraged Carina, causing the fiery redhead to charge.

"You fuckin' bitch!" Carina shouted as she landed a straight kick to the woman's stomach and then a hard right hook to her jaw, sending Dauda reeling briefly. Bouchard, now apparently beaten into submission, allowed Zondra to join Carina in taking down the larger woman. Punches, kicks and screams were exchanged between the three women. Eventually, Carina landed a spinning hook kick to the side of Dauda's head, sending her down for the count.

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Chuck was standing beside the black Suburban he obtained from his would-be assailants. He had an MP5SD strapped over each shoulder, magazines in both front and rear pockets and the duffel was being worn like a backpack. The SUV was idling in neutral about one hundred feet from the black SUV blocking the alley's exit. Chuck fastened the seatbelt of the driver's seat and then removed his headset, using the long cord to tie between the searing wheel and the seatbelt. He waited as the men started to exit the black SUV. Chuck pressed the cruise controls' resume button and the engine reved loudly. Chuck took the long handled ice scraper he found in the back seat and knocked the gear shift from neutral to drive, immediately getting the hell out of the way. The tires squealed and then the SUV rocketed down the street, on a direct collision course for the stationary SUV and it's disembarking passengers. Chuck ran for the sidewalk and used the trees as cover to make his way toward the SUV's target. Within moments, Chuck could hear a "What the..?" just before the sound of the impact, followed by the sound of twisting metal and screams.

When Chuck reached the scene, his plan had worked better than he had imagined. His kamikaze SUV had T-boned the other vehicle and pushed it into a tree. The airbag deployment had disengaged the cruise control, but it appeared as though at least three people had been crushed by the impact. Chuck approached just as an armed man in tactical gear came around the wreckage to look for the driver of Chuck's 'distraction'. His curiosity earned him a double tap and he dropped to the ground in a heap. Chuck took cover behind the stoop of an adjacent townhome while he assessed the situation. His hearing was improving and he could make out the sound of gunfire down the alley. If he was a bettin' man, he'd wager that was Casey, who had clearly opted not to go to the rendezvous location. He just hoped that Sarah was safe and that he could get to Carina and Zondra in time.

From his periphery, Chuck spotted the barrel of a sub-machine gun emerge from behind the crashed SUV. The person was obviously trying to be very cautious given what had transpired so far. Chuck could hear some yelling and commotion in the alley. It sounded like a fight had broken out and the dulcet tones of one dear Carina Miller floated through the crisp night air.

"You fuckin' bitch!" _Ah...sweet music._ At least Carina was alive, that was good news. The outburst caught the attention of the man creeping behind the SUV enough so that he revealed himself to take aim down the alley, likely at Carina. Chuck's aim was true as he put four rounds into the man, doing his best to turn the man's head into a wiffle ball. Chuck could now hear heavy foot falls coming down the alley toward him. There was still distanct gunfire down the alley, so it clearly was not Casey. Chuck ran to the edge of the building in time to see the man come around the corner. Chuck caught him with a clothes line strike to the chest, making a spectacular example of inertia as the man's bottom half continued on, causing him to nearly flip. He landed painfully on his neck and shoulder to which Chuck followed with a hard strike from the butt of his MP5. The now unconscious man was Bouchard, which gave Chuck an even greater sense of satisfaction from his efforts. Chuck took a lap around the crashed vehicles to ensure that there were no survivors and then began to work his way up the alley.

Carina and Zondra were in a heated battle with Zaria Dauda. Apparently Bouchard and his lady friend opted to make a break for it and got more than the bargained for. Dauda as clearly a very tough, skilled fighter, but she was quickly being bested by Carina and Zondra. As Chuck approached, Carina's spinning hook kick was the coupe de gras that toppled the giant woman. Unaware of his presence, the two high-fived and rested against the wall.

"Wow. So it took both of ya huh?" Chuck mused as he startled both women.

"Jesus Christ, Chuck," Zondra exclaimed, holding her chest. Chuck threw his second MP5 to Zondra as he passed by.

"Come on. Fun's not over yet," Chuck called back over his shoulder as he ran up the alley to take cover. Chuck could see three men taking cover behind the black SUVs and a fourth sitting on the ground leaning against the vehicle, perhaps wounded but still moving. They seemed to be at a stalemate as both sides of the fight were well hidden by cover, all gunfire seeming ineffective. Unfortunately for the 'men in black', Chuck, Zondra and Carina had a perfect opening. Chuck gave the signal and all three opened fire. Chuck and Zondra with their MP5s and Carina with her sidearm, lit up the remaining men behind the SUVs, like fish in a barrel. Within seconds, all four men were collapsed in heaps. The last sound was a spent shell casing chiming as it bounced on the ground.

"Clear!" Chuck shouted. He swore he heard a grunt that was soon followed by a "Clear" in retort. Everyone came out from cover. The adrenaline wearing off, Chuck began to feel the consequences of the recent activity. His leg and shoulder were on fire, but he pushed through. He had to see, he had to know. He made his way to the delivery area of the Embassy, his heart racing and his stomach in a knot. He saw Casey emerge from behind the now perforated catering van. Chuck frantically scoured the area looking for any sign of Sarah. As Chuck walked closer to the catering van, a streak of blonde rose from the front of the vehicle. When he saw it was Sarah, Chuck blew out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in and braced his hands on his knees to steady himself. Sarah raced to his side and grabbed his arm with one hand and wrapping the other arm around him to steady him.

"Chuck! Oh thank God. Are you ok? Are you hurt? Talk to me!" Sarah questioned him in a frenzy. Chuck just held up his opposite hand to give her pause.

"I'm-I'm fine. As long as you're OK, I'm wonderful. You're OK right?" Chuck looked her up and down, trying to assess her condition. She just nodded and squeezed him tighter. The sound of sirens filled the night air, their whines becoming louder. "Where's Larkin?" Chuck asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yea. About that. Seems he sold us out and now he's on the run. Look, you guys need to get the hell outta here. I'll stick around and deal with this. A team is already on the way." Chuck pulled off his duffel bag and opened it to allow people to stash their weapons in it. Seeing his laptop and had an idea.

"I think we may be able to catch Bryce. But um...there's like...six bodies in the surveillance van. So we may have to find a different mode of transport," Chuck shrugged sheepishly.

"We still have a car in valet parking," Sarah chimed in.

"You're a genius! Can you go pick it up and swing around the block and grab the rest of us?" Chuck smiled a big goofy grin.

"On my way. Meet you at the….other end of the alley," as she looked from the end with the mangled cars, then pointed to the clear exit on the other end of the block. She began to walk back into the building when Chuck interrupted.

"Uh...Sarah? You uh...might want to take that off," Chuck pointed toward her motioning in a circle. Sarah looked down and realized she was still wearing her tactical vest.

A wry smile erupted, "What? Not appropriate evening wear?" holding her arms out, modeling the vest. That garnered a hearty chuckle from the team. She just shook her head and took off the vest, handing it Casey before disappearing back into the Embassy.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Carina turned her body to face the back from her perch in the passenger seat. "How is it that you think you're going to find Larkin?" she inquired of Chuck, who was sitting in the back seat typing away on his laptop.

"Well, somebody had the forethought to put microdot GPS trackers on Bryce and Sarah's clothing before we left the house…" he replied, continuing to type.

"What he means is 'he' was the genius who planted the microdot trackers," Sarah smirked as she looked in the rearview mirror at him. He just shrugged with a wry smile.

"I'm sure he ditched the earwig, so the one in there will do no good. I can see it back at the Embassy. The one in the heel of his shoe however, is currently driving through Arlington," Chuck declared as he tapped the screen. The engine roared to life as Sarah began zigzagging through traffic even faster than before. Chuck leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes and biting his lower lip. The deliberate breathing through his nose grabbed Zondra's attention. She gently grabbed his forearm.

"Chuck? You OK?" she asked, concern in her voice. He nodded his head quickly and let out a slow breath.

"Yeah...just all the shit that went down is catching up to me now that all the adrenaline's worn off. I don't think anything got ripped open, but it's gonna hurt for a while. I'll be fine," he replied with a kind smile. "How are you guys? Didn't get roughed up too bad?" Chuck looked between the women expectantly. Carina just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Chuck. For the hundredth time, we're all fine. Would you take a minute to worry about 'you' for a change?" she chided with a wry smile.

Chuck extended his hand to Carina. She looked at it quizzically for a moment but took it. Sarah did a double take over her shoulder at the interaction and then, wide-eyed, looked at Chuck in the rearview mirror. With a smirk on his face he began to shake her hand.

"Chuck Bartowski. Apparently we've never met," Chuck commented with a devilish grin on his face. Carina yanked her hand away from his and smacked hand and arm a few times as he raised his ar to defend himself, all the while laughing.

"You think you're just sooo damn funny don't you?" Carina huffed in mock anger as she turned around and faced front again, trying to keep the smile off her face. "I'm not talking to you any more. Play grabass with Zondra back there for a while," she waved them off.

"Hey!" Sarah exclaimed, a little agitated.

"Heeey…" Zondra mused with a much more salacious connotation, bouncing an eyebrow as she rubbed Chuck's thigh.

"Ow. Ow...not the..not the thigh, please. Not the thigh," Chuck winced and began to grow a little red in the neck and ears.

"Opp! Sorry! Sorry…" Zondra jerked her hand away, trying to stifle a laugh. Chuck was trying to adjust himself in his seat, but his discomfort now had nothing to do with his injuries. Suddenly Sarah started to laugh and it became infectious until all three women were rolling in laughter in the car. Chuck just sat there, his arms folded indignantly, waiting for the laughter to subside.

Once the laughter trailed off into long sighs, Chuck finally spoke up, "Are you done now?" he asked. That started the uproar of laughter all over again. He wanted to be aggravated but given all that had happened today and the fact that these three friends haven't been together in so long, he just shook his head looking out his window and let them have their fun.

"OK. OK I'm...I'm sorry. I'm done" Sarah confessed as she tried to pull herself together. Looking in the rearview mirror she really did look apologetic.

"Mmhmmm, I bet you are, "he replied but gave a wink to show he wasn't really angry. That added a brightness to her eyes that he loved. Even in the darkened car, through the rearview mirror he could still see it plain as day and it warmed him to see it. It gave him some small reassurance that Sarah truly did have feelings for him and that all the other ...bullshit… was just that. He pulled himself from his musings to check the GPS tracker location.

"Keep on 267, he's about five miles ahead of us now, that's to Miss Leadfoot up there," he stated with mirth him his voice.

"Everyone else is just slow, that's all," she smirked.

Chuck flashed her a smile of his own. "Well, whatever the reason, keep it up. I suspect he's headin' to Dulles. If he gets on a plane we'll lose him for sure."

* * *

A/N2: And there we have it folks. That's Chapter 9. A little more action this chapter. Bryce is on the run. Casey's 'Sunshine Band' is in hot pursuit. Tune in to Chapter 10, coming soon.

Recurring PSA: If you are not already a member, I encourage you to join the "Chuck Fanfiction" group on Facebook. It is an amazing group of authors, readers and then there's me. This group is only for Chuck Fanfiction discussion, as the name suggests. Share links to your own work or discuss your favorite fics. Maybe even post a request or fic challenge to shake things up. Look forward to seeing you there.

PSA number "the next one": If you are not a member of , I encourage you to join. You can then get notifications of new stories and chapters. I can also reply to your reviews. Creating an account is quick and easy. Check it out.

JW


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: We last left our friends after things went pear-shaped at the Bulgarian Consulate. Shoot-outs and general pandemonium ensued. Now they are in pursuit of Bryce Larkin, teammate suspected of turning rogue. Let's rejoin them in, Return To Me - Chapter 10

I'm sorry it took so long to get another chapter out, but I have been consumed with one of my other stories, Waitress. If you haven't checked it out, please do. It is nothing like this story, so be forewarned. That is partly why it took time to come back to RTM, it is hard for me to shift gears between stories.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck.

* * *

Chapter 10

Chuck looked out of his window, the lines on the road flickering past. The lurching of the car into another lane caused his forehead to bounce off the glass with a loud thud.

"Owww," he let out in a flat, monotone voice. "You do realize that we're not going to catch him if we become the focus of some 'blood on the highway' cautionary tale for drivers ed classes, right?"

"Yeah. Well, when you're behind the wheel you can show me how it's done, smart ass," Sarah quipped. Chuck chuckled, shaking his head. He looked at Bryce's GPS location again, noticing that they were closing in on it rather quickly.

"Hey. Hey. We're getting closer. It looks like it stopped about a mile ahead," Chuck pointed out through the windshield. Not having time to get any real-time satellite imagery, he settled for Google Maps and street view to get an idea of where the GPS coordinates were. "Looks like he's stopped in the middle of the road." They continued weaving through traffic until a sea of red lights erupted in front of them.

"Fuck!" Sarah slammed her fist into the steering wheel as the car screeched to a halt. Flashing signs in the breakdown lanes not only blocked their passage but informed them that there was night work being done on the road ahead. Chuck slumped, seeing that the dot on the map was just a few hundred yards ahead of them. Chuck forwarded the coordinates to his cell phone and, once he had the location on his phone's map, he closed his laptop and placed it on the floorboard of the back seat. He pulled out his sidearm and checked the magazine.

"I'm sooo gonna need a soak in the tub after tonight." He chambered a round and threw open his door.

"Whoa. What are you doing?" called Zondra.

"I'm gonna go catch that motherfucker if it's the last thing I do." Chuck jumped out of the car, slamming his door to clear the way between the rows of cars so he could run between them. His teammates were quick to follow, but not without voicing protests. Chuck ran between the cars, dodging between them to get to the center lane. Willing himself to push aside the pain in his legs and shoulders as they pumped, he ran as fast as his body could carry him. He glanced at the dot on his map and saw he was getting close. He could see that Carina and Zondra had nearly caught up with him, despite his head start, running in a parallel lane. His injuries slowed him down considerably, but he would not let it stop him. He could hear Sarah yelling not far behind him, ordering curious onlookers to stay in their 'damn car'.

Chuck held up his hand in a fist as he slowed to a walk. They others caught the gesture and followed suit. Chuck checked his phone and then looked up at cars as he continued to walk, trying to catch his breath. There were three taxis in a row and Chuck motioned toward them. He put his phone away and took his sidearm in both hands, approaching the vehicles with caution. Carina and Zondra took up similar stances, covering the cars from the opposite side. Focusing on the cabs, he knew that GPS was only mostly accurate, so he stole a glance at Sarah and motioned to the adjacent cars in the other lane. She nodded her understanding and started covering those vehicles. They both gestured for silence from the startled motorists, checking each car for signs of Bryce. Chuck re-checked his phone and the GPS coordinates indicated the front cab should be the target. They descended on the car with extreme caution, knowing how dangerous Bryce could be, especially if cornered. When Chuck peeked in the back seat he saw it was empty. He quickly looked around the area and then back into the cab not seeing anything. The team trained their guns on the cabbie, his hands up, shaking his head.

"Don't...don't shoot. Take-take whatever you want," he pleaded, clearly scared out of his mind.

"I don't want your damn money. Your passenger. Where the hell is he?" Carina barked.

"He… he got out at a stop light. He held a gun to my head and took a picture of my wife and kids right off my dashboard. He said … he said that if I didn't drive to the airport and wait five minutes he'd… he'd kill them." The man was in tears, his hands were still up, trembling from fear.

"OK. Sir. Sir, please. Your family's gonna be fine. OK? Please open your trunk," Chuck asked calmly, trying to soothe the man. The cabbie did as directed, but it was empty. Chuck closed the trunk and then started to look through the backseat again. There was nothing. Chuck thought, pacing for a moment before abruptly turning to the cabbie.

"Sir, could you step outta the car, please?" Chuck walked around the front of the car to the driver's side, joining Carina and Zondra. The man cautiously did as he was asked, making slow deliberate movements so as not to spook the armed people that surrounded him. He stepped out of the car, his hands still up as he backed away from the door. Chuck pushed the door closed with his foot to get a better look at the man. His suspicions were right. Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, the brightly polished dress shoes he wore stood out like a sore thumb.

"You gave him your shoes." It wasn't a question, more of a statement as Chuck slumped, shaking his head.

"He… he had a gun. What was I supposed to do? He made me swap shoes with him before he got outta the car. Please. Please don't let him hurt my family. I'm... I'm sorry. I…" Chuck just held up his hand, stopping the man from rambling further.

"Sir? Sir, you didn't do anything wrong. OK? You did exactly what you needed to do in this situation. Now, there's gonna be some policemen that are gonna come and talk to you. They'll make sure your family is safe, OK? Just sit tight and don't go anywhere." Chuck spoke in a soft, understanding tone that helped to set the man at ease, though he still looked pretty shaken. Chuck turned around, his jaw clenched, shaking his head.

"DAMMIT!" he shouted as he slammed his hand against the hood of the cab. He started pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair.

"Hey, buddy. Where does that camera store its footage?" Sarah asked, pointing at the camera on the dashboard of the cab that faced the back seat.

"There's a drive mounted under the dash. It's supposed to upload over wifi when we park 'em back at the garage when our shift is over," the man confessed.

"Chuck. Give me your Leatherman," Sarah called from inside the car. Chuck pulled his large multi tool from its pouch and handed it into the car without question. While Sarah was retrieving the drive, Chuck took pictures of the cab, getting the company name and the cab number. He then placed a call, sighing in frustration. He walked to the roadside, to give himself some distance.

"Bartowski secure. We lost him… Yeah, my thoughts exactly. He ditched all the trackers and swapped shoes with a cabbie to throw us off… Sarah's pulling the camera footage from the cab now. I have the cab company name and car number so I can pull the GPS travel data. I can get traffic and security cam footage from their path to see if we can figure out where he went... No. He bailed before they got on the interstate. Roger. We'll meet back at Castle and go over what we've got…. It wouldn't hurt to have TSA be on the lookout, but the more I think about it, he's not going to risk being seen with all the security at a commercial airport. I should have seen it coming. I'm sorry Case- … Right. Yeah. I-I know… Roger. See ya at Castle." The call ended and he started tapping the phone on his forehead in thought.

"He pissed?" Sarah asked, stepping up to Chuck as he concluded the call. Chuck gave a one note chuckle and rolled his eyes.

"Of course, he is. Granted, not at us. He's pissed at Larkin, the situation." Chuck shrugged, leaning against the barrier wall of the breakdown lane. He closed his eyes, furrowing his brow in a silent wince. Sarah could see the pained expression and closed the space between them, taking a hold of his wrist.

"Chuck. Come on. We gotta get you outta here. You were barely in good enough shape to stay in the car, let alone all the shit you've put your body through tonight." She pulled his arm around her shoulders to help him stand. He didn't fight her, standing up with her. She started to walk with him, but he stopped her, pulling her close, in a one armed hug. He craned his head down to whisper in her ear.

"I can walk on my own, but I really needed that hug right now." His confession brought a smile to her face, making her blush a bit. He slowly removed his arm, walking with her to meet with the others. An NSA team would be there soon to process the car and the cabbie. The team made their way back to their car, reaching it before traffic started moving again.

On the ride home, Chuck accessed the servers in Castle remotely and started retrieving the GPS data on the cab and cross-referencing it with any cameras on its path. He was able to collect time-stamped footage between when Bryce was picked up and when he was dropped off. The files would be available at Castle to view on the large screens when they got back, making it easier to spot details than on the small laptop screen.

"I've worked with my fair share of analysts. Typically, nerdy types, you know? Livin' in their mom's basement kinda quys. I thought they were good but… man, Chuck. You are one BAMF," Carina confessed, looking on in wide-eyed fascination at Chuck's hands flying across his laptop keyboard. Chuck paused and slowly turned to look at her.

"B.A.M.F.?" Chuck asked, sounding confused.

"It's short for bad ass mother fucker, Chuck. For what it's worth, she's right," Zondra added. "All this computer shit aside, I've seen few field agents that can't do what you can do. I've seen Bryce work and he's really good, but I don't think he could pull off what you did tonight. I mean… taking out two assault teams, single-handedly… while recovering from gunshot wounds. I mean, who the fuck are you?" Zondra snorted, finding it all a little absurd. Chuck was quiet for a moment then looked at them with a serious expression.

"Well, Zondra. This is all beyond top secret, but since you're all part of my team now, I think you have a right to know. See... I was recruited from Stanford to be part of a secret military program. One in which cybernetic implants were surgically inserted in the brains of candidates, imbuing them with advanced skills. They could be programmed for whatever task was required, from advanced analytics like this to deadly combat skills… even... inducement and infiltration skills…" Chuck trailed off, giving Zondra a devilish grin. "They were looking for the perfect agents." All three women were engrossed in the story, listening intently, slack jawed in astonishment.

"Are...are you serious? Chuck that… that's…" Zondra was at a loss for words, unable to voice her shock at this revelation.

"Of course, I'm not serious. That's ridiculous. Cybernetic implants… you guys… honestly." Chuck just shook his head, grinning from ear to ear, thoroughly satisfied with himself that he'd pulled one over on them.

"Oh, you sonofabitch. I'm so gonna fuckin' kill you," Carina admonished as she tried to come over the front seat to strangle him. Sarah and Zondra tried to hold her back, as did Chuck, holding up his hands in surrender as he laughed hysterically.

"Oh, my God. The look on your faces was priceless." After a minute Chuck began to sober up, straightening in his seat. "I am a little offended though. The fact that you believed the story as a logical explanation for … whatever abilities you think I may have … it's like all the training, blood and sweat couldn't possibly account for it. My natural intelligence and abilities didn't make sense. It would have to be some sort of computer. Well, I'm sorry to say it's just me ladies. Good, bad or indifferent." Chuck just shrugged, looking slightly dejected. He re-focused on his laptop, returning to his work.

"I'm sorry Chuckles. You're right," Carina confessed. "That's not really fair. I think the thing we struggle with, or at least I do, is that I know the type of person you are. You're sweet, kind and caring. Probably more so than anyone I've ever met. To think that you're capable of… of doing what you've done, what you've had to do. How do you… how do you not lose 'yourself'?" Carina looked on in anticipation, concern evident in her expression. Zonda nodded her agreement to Carina's sentiments as they sat silently waiting.

Chuck slowly closed his laptop, pondering the question. He looked at each of the women in the car, catching Sarah's gaze in the rearview mirror. "I don't get any enjoyment from the … the 'things' I've had to do. It eats at me sometimes. But then I think about why it is that I do it. Normally that answer is to protect people. My country, my teammates, the innocent people around the world that can't fight for themselves. That's why I do it. Killing bad people for a good reason. Now… now I have a different team. Almost a … a family you could say. I take it as my duty, my honor, to keep them safe, to make sure they all come home. I'll stop at nothing to protect my family. I can still be 'me' because I don't do it out of hate or greed. I do it out of ..." He opened his mouth as if to continue but paused and huffed, shaking his head. The car was awkwardly silent as they all thought about his confession.

Chuck turned to look out of his window, feeling the uneasiness in the car. He was pulled away from his thoughts by a soft hand taking hold of his. He looked down in surprise to see Zondra had taken his hand in hers. He met her gaze and saw her warm smile. She just nodded at him and squeezed his hand before letting go. It was not an intimate exchange, but rather more of a reassuring gesture. He looked up at the road ahead and noticed Carina staring at him. She had the same soft smile Zondra had given him. He glanced at the rearview mirror, seeing that Sarah was watching the road as she drove, and then returned his gaze to Carina beside her in the front passenger seat.

Slowly, her smile changed from soft and comforting to wry and mischievous. That was the Carina he knew and appreciated.

"So… just so I got this straight… there's no chip in your head for advanced … seduction techniques?" Carina inquired with no small amount of salaciousness in her voice. Chuck snorted.

"Um… I think that's pretty obvious, don't you think?" He held out his arms as if inviting them to look at him. His tone insisted that the notion was preposterous, but Carina only gave him a flat look. She was silent, though her mouth opened as if beginning to say something. She glanced at Sarah then just turned around in her seat to face forward. Zondra turned her attention out of her window as well, saying nothing. Chuck looked between the two, not understanding what the silent treatment was all about. He shifted his gaze to the rearview mirror, catching Sarah staring at him. The corners of her eyes were scrunched, similar to when someone is smiling broadly. He smiled at her but still looked confused. She winked at him before returning her attention back to the road. He just shook it off and returned to staring out his window at the city lights going by.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When they arrived back at Castle, Chuck had to take a few extra seconds to pry himself out of the back seat of the car. His body had started to stiffen up, his injuries protesting quite loudly. When he stood, he stretched, his joins popping as he let out a strangled, "Owww". He wouldn't let his teammates help him, though he expressed his appreciation as he made his way inside and down to Castle's control room.

"You look like shit, Bartowski," Casey grumped from his seat at one of the computer terminals.

"Thanks for noticing," Chuck returned flatly as he eased himself into a chair at another terminal. "I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but this place is burned now. With Larkin in the wind, this place is no longer a secret. What d'you plan to do, Casey?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I know. Beckman is trying to secure us another location. She'll have teams come and relocate all the equipment as soon as it's ready. In the meantime, she's authorized a security team to guard outside the perimeter along with our existing security measures. It'll have to do for now," Casey grunted, returning back to his work.

Chuck pulled off his tactical vest and threw it over an adjacent chair and got to work. He pulled up the video feeds he had downloaded earlier and started to sort them out, displaying them as a timeline of the cab's travels. He transferred the images to the large screen on the nearby wall to allow them to see finer details. The three women came down to join them after cleaning themselves up and changing into something more comfortable. Chuck brought up the first video as Sarah and Zondra pulled up chairs, Carina opting to sit on the table nearby.

"This is where the cab pulls up. He sits here, parked about a block from the Consulate, until riiiiiight there! There's Bryce, checking to make sure nobody is following… he gets in and off they go. Doesn't look like anyone came out with him or met with him that we can see." Chuck fast forwarded through the other camera feeds that showed the cab and stopped where the cabbie said he stopped to let Bryce out. Chuck pulled feeds from two different traffic cams and a security camera from an adjacent business that the NSA, more specifically Chuck, was now 'borrowing'. He had all three on the screen at once so everyone could watch them. They could see the men conversing and what looked like the cabbie putting his hands up. On one feed they could just make out a gun, which corroborated the story the cabbie told. They watched Bryce reach into the front and take something off the dashboard and waved it at the man. Soon after, the man appeared to take off his shoes and hand them over the back seat, taking a pair in return. Another minute and Bryce exited on the curbside and waved the man on. They kept watching, waiting for Bryce to do something. They saw him check his watch a couple of times, but after about three minutes, a black Mercedes pulled up and he had a conversation with someone through the window. There was no camera angle to show the curbside of that car, to see whomever Bryce was talking to. After about twenty seconds, Bryce opened the door and took a cursory look around before getting in. Chuck zoomed in on the plate as the car made its way through the intersection.

"That's a livery plate. Whoever it is ordered a car service," Sarah pointed out, the 'L' at the beginning of the plate number. Chuck started a search on the plate number, finding the livery company.

"That belongs to Capital Livery, give me a few and I can see if I can find who booked it." Chuck worked furiously, black terminal windows popped up with scrolling lines of gibberish. A web browser window finally launched with the online booking information for the company. He looked through their database to find the vehicle ID number that referenced the car with that license plate. With that information he pulled up all of the booking information for that vehicle for the last seven days. There were a number of names, most being out-of-town businessmen. He looked down through the list and sighed.

"Son of a bitch!" Chuck exclaimed. His teammates looked on in confusion, asking what he'd found. Chuck highlighted the name of the last person to book that vehicle. 'Louis Winthorpe III'.

"Who's Louis Winthorpe III?" Carina asked, feeling like she was missing something.

"Louis Winthorpe III is the name of the fictional character from the movie Trading Places. Dan Akroyd, Eddie Murphy, 1983? You know? '_Looking good Billy Ray'. 'Feeling good Louis'._ Nothing? Really?" Chuck asked incredulously.

"Bartowski, the only reason you remember that movie is because it shows Jamie Lee Curtis topless," Casey chimed in without looking up from his report.

"I'll neither confirm nor deny that remark," Chuck responded flatly. The ladies snickered a bit at the comment but Chuck continued on. "Ok… anyway. There is no Louis Winthorpe III, so it was clearly a fake identity." Chuck continued typing away at the keyboard. Several windows popped up, then others closed. The process repeated itself for ten minutes as he grumbled to himself.

"Gotcha! OK. So Bryce obviously ditched his cellphone and somehow the car's GPS chip was disabled. However, according to the livery's data, the driver tonight was a Mr. Michael Davenport. Our friend, Mr. Davenport, has a cellphone and, according to the GPS data for his phone, he was, in fact, driving that car." Chuck pulled up a map with the car's path highlighted. "The car hops on 66 and then… gets off here at route 7, through this residential area and into this cemetery. Looks like it stops for about twenty seconds and then takes off again, returning the way it came." Chuck blew out a long sigh.

Sarah was looking on in utter amazement. The things this man was capable of was truly astounding. Sure he was nice to look at, recalling him in his towel earlier in the day still fresh in her mind. As attractive as he was to look at, his mind was equally as sexy. Watching as his fingers effortlessly dance across his keyboard, she could see his tongue slowly licking his lower lip as he concentrated. She was not conscious of it, but she was so engrossed that she was mimicking his movement, licking her own lip as well, remembering the taste of him from earlier that night. Carina happened to notice and kicked at Zondra's chair. When she had her attention she nodding toward Sarah and the two watched in amusement at the hunger on her face. Carina cleared her throat, breaking through the silence.

"So Chuckles, what was it you studied in college again?" Carina inquired, sounding perfectly innocent.

"Uh, computer and electrical engineering. Why do you ask?" He hadn't looked up from his laptop, still focused on his task at hand.

"Oh, just curious. I imagine you were quite… popular with the ladies." Her tone was beginning to sound a little less innocent and Sarah noticed, turning to give her a disapproving glare.

"Um, well...not uh… not really," he confessed, his embarrassment at the question pulling him from his thoughts.

"Oh, come on. With finger dexterity like that, you could easily make a girl all… QWERTY inside," she admitted salaciously. Chuck started to cough, taken aback at the overly sexualized comment. Zondra snorted at both the comment and the reaction. Even Casey gave an amused grunt.

"Carina!" Sarah admonished. Carina just held her hands up innocently.

"What? So you're saying he doesn't have magic fingers?" Carina continued.

"No! I didn't say that. His fingers are perfectly magical." She desperately wished she could pull those words back in the second they came out. She had fallen into Carina's trap, allowing her to get under her skin until she said something closed her eyes for a moment, inwardly berating herself. A long, slow whistle came from Zondra, who was not helping matters.

"Wow, blondie," Carina replied. Carina looked between Sarah and Chuck, hoping to reveal in their embarrassment. Instead what she saw was a rather cocky grin across Chuck's face. Carina and Sarah shared a look before they both looked back to Chuck. He just winked at Sarah and shrugged.

"Hey what can I say? It's a gift." He gave Carina a devilish grin, bouncing his eyebrows. He then turned back to his work, leaving her sitting with her mouth agape. Now it was Sarah's turn to snort, seeing that he had turned Carina's plan back on her.

Chuck regained his focus and returned to typing after glancing at the map again. Some more windows opened on the screen with text streaming down the window, finally stopping at a prompt. Chuck typed some more commands and a video feed popped up on the screen. He rolled back the video to the time in which the driver's cellphone placed him at the entrance to the cemetery. It was dark but they could see the car clearly. Unfortunately, between the tinting on the car windows and the distance of the camera, they couldn't tell if Bryce was even in the car. As anticipated, they saw the car exit less than a minute later and drive back the way it came.

"There are multiple exits to that cemetery, most of which are on roads with no camera coverage. There are no cameras in the cemetery and only that one we just saw that faces the cemetery. There is no way to tell when he left or in what kind of vehicle. I'm not even confident that he was in the car when it went into the cemetery. I'd have to back track and look at traffic cams along the way, but with the tinted windows we probably won't see much. So… I guess what I'm saying is that he's gone. I lost him," Chuck admitted dejectedly, pushing the keyboard away and slumping down into his chair. "I'm sorry guys. I… I thought I could do this … I dunno what I was thinking. This team needs a real analyst. I'm clearly outta my depth here." A loud smack accompanied the pain in the back of his head as Chuck's head shot forward. "Oww!"

"You cut that shit out right now," a very angry Carina Miller stood behind him, one hand on her hip, the other pointing in Chuck's face. "You let that douchebag Larkin get in your head. That guy is poison. So, you listen to us. The shit you did tonight was damned amazing. Everything you accomplished tonight as an analyst was nothing short of incredible. I can't remember when I've seen better. The kicker is … you weren't trained to be an analyst, Chuck! You had what… a day, tops, to learn the equipment. Hell, I've watched lots of nerds while in the van on missions and you've done stuff I've never seen them do. You are, no joke, a hardcore nerd." Carina paused to change her stance, pointing at him with the other hand. Zondra and Sarah were just staring wide-eyed at Carina going off.

"And another thing… you quite possibly saved our lives tonight," she added, pointing between Zondra and herself. "Somethin' I don't take lightly. So I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you talk shit about yourself. If anything, you proved that you were the most valuable member of this team tonight. You got me, buster?" Carina was breathing heavily through her nose, glaring at him, daring him to argue with her. Chuck slowly turned in his chair to face her, his stoic expression unreadable.

"I hear what you're saying. Thank you." He nodded and looked between the other two ladies as they smiled at him. He turned his attention back to Carina. "I just gotta know one thing Carina…" he paused for effect, "do we have any ice cream sandwiches upstairs?" Carina's expression went flat as she stared through him. Sarah and Zondra snorted, trying to cover their mouths to hide their smirks.

"I give up." She threw her hands up in the air and sat down in a mock huff. Casey spun his chair to face the group, setting his report aside.

"You guys should all get some rest. TheNSA and CIA are on the hunt for Larkin. We still have our original mission. Bouchard's in custody, so we can start interrogating him tomorrow after he sweats it out a little in lockup tonight." The others stood, Chuck a little more slowly, and started to head to the stairs.

"Bartowski. What Miller said was spot on. You did good work. Now go ice that leg and shoulder for a bit before you head up to bed." Casey grumbled. As the four continued towards the hallway, Casey stopped them.

"You three, not so fast. I wanna talk with you. Bartowski, you're dismissed." Chuck nodded, but looked at his teammates before heading upstairs. Once they heard the door close, Casey spoke again.

"I have something I think you should see." He went back to the terminal he had been sitting at and pressed some keys, one of the large TV screens coming to life with two different video feeds. They were both showing a white Transit van sitting in a parking lot. Carina and Zondra recognized it as the location they had parked in earlier that night.

"These were from the parking lot security cameras and I'm guessing Rizzo and Miller recognize it. This is just before you two got out to go secure the alley." Casey fast forwarded to show the two agents leave the van and continued to fast forward until the black SUV pulled up behind the van.

"Here. This is the assault team that is about to descend on this van. Watch it. All of it." His tone left no room for negotiation, so the three stood and watched. Sarah had one arm wrapped around herself and was chewing on the nails of her other hand, her nerves clearly on edge. Casey played the video and they all gasped when the doors to the van were thrown open. They watched in both horror and amazement as Chuck dispatched the entire team with speed and precision. When the footage showed Chuck get into the assault team's SUV, Casey killed the display.

Sarah let out the breath she had been holding throughout the video. She wasn't prepared for the fear that gripped her while she watched on helplessly. As she watched the video, she could see just how good he really was. His timing, accuracy, and planning, he made it look like this was something he did everyday. While she was still scared for him, she had a better appreciation for his abilities and felt a little more at ease knowing how well he could handle himself. He never ceased to impress her, in virtually every facet of his life.

"I know Bartowski... Chuck. I guarantee you that the singular thought running through his head during all of that was getting to you guys," gesturing toward Carina and Zondra. "To protect you. To cover your backs. That's who he is. I know he seems like a mild mannered, nerdy guy, and don't get me wrong, he is all that. But believe him when he says there is nothing he won't do to protect those he cares about. I just thought you could all stand to see that in context. Any questions?" The three women were solemn, contemplative, but shook their heads 'No'. "Alright then. Get some rest. See ya in the mornin'." Casey turned back to his report as the three women walked upstairs.

They entered the kitchen, seeing Chuck sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, ice packs on his shoulder and leg. Carina and Zondra looked at each other and both said their good nights to Sarah and Chuck, heading upstairs to bed. Sarah walked up to Chuck, placing a hand on each cheek and kissed him soundly, letting all her pent up feelings from the last couple of hours come pouring out. She held his head tight, pressing herself to him firmly until she needed to break for air.

"Wow," Chuck exclaimed, a dreamy look on his face. Sarah held his face, gazing into his dark chocolate eyes.

"You scared the hell out of me tonight. Well... the situation scared the hell out of me. The prospect of losing you… again." She took in a deep shaky breath. "I don't think I can go on like this…" She averted her gaze to his chest, dropping her hands from his face to take his hand.

"Wh… what are you saying? That's it? Just like that?" His voice hitched, barely able to get the last words out. Sarah's head shot up looking him in the eye, shock on her face.

"What? No! No, that … that came out all wrong." Sarah sighed, exasperated with herself. "Chuck. What I mean is that I don't want to go on 'taking things slow'. In our line of work, things happen and they seem to keep happening to you. I don't want to have any regrets. I know how I feel. I understand that you may not… may not share in those feels, but Chuck… I love you. I've been in love with you for so long and it's killed me to be away from you. I get it that you may not feel the same, but I can't keep pret-" Sarah's words were cut short by Chuck's lips pressed to hers, his free hand holding the back of her neck to pull her deeper into the kiss. She was taken by surprise but quickly overcame it, settling into the kiss, moaning into his mouth. After thirty seconds or more, they slowly pulled apart, Sarah licking her pink, swollen lips.

"Wow. That was …" Sarah said breathily, blinking away her own dreamy expression. Chuck placed his hand on her cheek, resting his thumb across her lips.

"Sarah, I love you too. Probably from the first day I met you, if I'm honest with myself. I'll admit that I'm a little scared. I've never felt this way about anyone and I don't want to screw it up. But not having you in my life is just not an option anymore. So we'll take things at whatever pace you're comfortable with." He caressed her lips and then her cheek with his thumb, never taking his eyes off hers. Slowly, she backed away, keeping hold of his other hand but turning away, pulling him along behind her. She didn't say a word, but Chuck just followed.

"Where are we going?" Chuck asked in a hushed tone. Sarah looked over her shoulder at him, a mischievous grin spread across her face.

"I believe someone requested a bath earlier. I know just the place," she winked before turning to lead him upstairs.

* * *

A/N2: And I think we'll take a break right there. It's a big bathtub. It may take a while to fill. In the meantime, drop me a PM or submit a review and let me know what you think. I know some of you have been waiting for an update to this story and I'm sorry it took so long. Hope you're not disappointed.

Until next time.

JW


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: When last we left our team, they had returned to Castle after the fiasco at the embassy and the fruitless efforts to chase down Bryce Larkin. On the bright side, it seems to be bath time for Chuck.

I'm sorry it took so long to post an update. If you've followed my other stories, you can likely see why. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck.

* * *

Chapter 11

"So, I'm not gonna lie. This is pretty amazing. Better than I thought it would be. Though… I was rather hoping you'd be in here with me." He was soaking in the large tub in Sarah's bathroom, bubbles covering most of his body, his head and knees the only things visible. He could hear Sarah chuckle from the bedroom, though the double doors were pulled closed preventing him from seeing her. One of the doors slowly opened as Sarah padded across the bathroom to sit on the edge of the tub. She was ready for bed, wearing an oversized T-shirt, her hair pulled up in a messy bun with the hair at the base of her neck still damp. She had snuck a shower while Chuck was getting a change of clothes from his room and shedding his mission gear.

"As enticing as that sounds, you're in no shape for that. Besides, I'm exhausted too. It's late and we both need the rest." He nodded and twisted his lips to the side, trying to mask his frown of disappointment. She was equally as disappointed, but she knew it was for the best. With the adrenaline from the night's events, coupled with their renewed commitment to their relationship, she was definitely in the mood mentally. It had been years since they had been together and the memories of those few days kept racing through her mind. In fact, as her fingers ran through the bubbles that obscured his body, her cheeks began to warm. Chuck quirked a smile and beckoned her with a sudsy finger. With a wry smile she closed the distance, leaning down to capture his lips with hers. The kiss was soft and sweet, lingering for some time. It was not hurried or lustful, but a slow and sensual exploration, a reacquainting. A soft, subtle moan escaped from both of them during the kiss, reinforcement that each was enjoying it as much as the other.

Slowly they separated, their lower lips still clinging together were the last to part. As their eyes opened, Sarah could see the dreamy, far off look that accompanied his goofy grin. She was certain she looked much the same because she definitely felt the way he looked. She smiled widely at him, letting out a contented sigh. Chuck pushed himself up in the tub so that he was sitting with his legs fully extended under the water. He delicately brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, giving her a look of pure adoration. His lips parted, taking in a breath as if to speak.

"Sarah. I …" he hesitated momentarily, as if searching for the proper words. She waited with bated breath, holding his gaze, searching the depths of his chocolate eyes. It was the sound of breaking glass followed by the loud thud of something banking off of the closed bathroom door that brought them crashing back to reality. Without a second thought, Chuck quickly wrapped an arm around Sarah, pulling her into the tub with him. He rolled to the side, covering her with his body to shield her from the impending blast. Only a couple of short seconds later, the silence was shattered by an explosion that rocked the room, blowing the double doors to the bathroom open with such force that they slammed against the wall and bounced back, partially blocking their view into the bedroom.

Chuck fought through his slight daze as the adrenaline began coursing through his body. He leapt from the tub to prepare himself, water and bubbles flying everywhere. Hearing the glass breaking in the bedroom, Chuck grabbed the closest weapon he could find, the nearby towel rack mounted to the wall, and ripped it out, taking the towel and some drywall with it. Sarah too leapt from the tub, racing across the bathroom to the double vanity on the other side. Chuck managed to hit the switch for the bathroom lights, plunging the room into darkness. Since the bedroom lights were on, it was unlikely that the intruders were wearing NVGs. Chuck could barely see the glint of metal from Sarah's direction, but the unmistakable sound of her checking the action on her pistol made him feel a little better. At least they had something besides a towel rod to use in defense. A quick glance at his surroundings gave him an idea. Grabbing the bottle of bubble bath behind him on the edge of the tub, he squirted it all over the floor just inside the door as he took cover to the right of the door. Sure it was Home Alone-esque, but it could give them a slight advantage.

Over the slight ringing in his ears, he could make out the crunching of broken glass, presumably from the balcony doors, which indicated at least three or more assailants, given the frequency and timing of the crunches. Since the doors were not completely closed, there was a small gap between them that allowed him to see into the bedroom. He craned his neck to get a better view and just caught the image of one person in black tactical gear. Their left hand was up, giving a countdown with their fingers. Two, one… Chuck immediately ducked down and held up the towel rod to act as a doorstop, preventing the door from slamming into him as they burst through the doors. The tango closest to him stepped into the room first, losing his footing slightly as his lead foot slipped on the liquid bubble bath. They remained upright, but the stumble was enough for them to lose the advantage. A shot rang out and the intruder crumpled into a heap in front of Chuck. The other intruder stacked up at the door, stepped back to avoid any additional gun fire, allowing Chuck just enough time to lift the barrel of the MP5 that was strapped to the dead intruder. He didn't even take the time to remove the lifeless finger from the trigger, he just squeezed off a three-shot burst into the other target. The man screamed in pain as he fell to the floor. At least one of the rounds hit him in the thigh, causing the man to instinctively grab it as he yelled in pain. Chuck took the opportunity to re-aim the MP5 and finish the man off.

Sarah moved into position to provide cover for Chuck, who was stripping the weapons from the first dead intruder. The bedroom door to the hallway was open, which meant that someone had exited, as she had locked it when Chuck came in. Her instincts were correct as mere seconds later, a barrel poked into the doorway. Sarah placed a few shots into the door frame, where the intruder's head would logically be. This afforded Chuck the cover he needed to dart across the bedroom and take cover beside the king-sized bed. Despite the seriousness of their situation, she couldn't help but crack a smile watching Chuck running, naked, through the bedroom with guns in hand. Other gunshots could be heard throughout the house, along with yelling and crashing. It sounded like a full scale assault on the house. Whatever extra protection the NSA had provided had clearly not been enough.

Blowing some stray hairs out of her face, she continued to lay down suppression fire on the doorway, giving Chuck time to roll across the bed and get closer to the doorway. As the slide on Sarah's sidearm locked open, she ducked back into the bathroom in time to miss the hail of bullets that riddled the door frame she had been hiding behind. This seemed to give the intruder confidence enough to advance into the room. To the guy's credit, it was a good plan, had Chuck not been there to greet him. With one swift move, Chuck pulled the intruder into the room with his left hand and decorated the opposite door frame with blood and brain matter, using the pistol he acquired from his first kill. He quickly poked his head into the hallway to check for more intruders. His immediate doorway was clear, but he saw two more intruders stacked up on the door to Carina's room. It was then he heard a scream, coming from that same room. Without a moment's thought, Chuck stormed down the hallway. He lifted the MP5 that was hanging from his shoulder and emptying the magazine into the two intruders in the hall.

Chuck continued to approach the doorway, only to be greeted with a naked pair of flailing legs. He could hear the muffled screams as Carina was pushed into the hallway, a gun to her head, fighting the whole way. As the captor and captive entered the hallway, the captor was surprised, not only by the fact that his team was dead on the ground, but a tall, naked man was standing in front of him. It was enough of a distraction that Carina was able to bite down hard on the man's hand. The man's gun shifted as he growled in pain. Just as Chuck was lifting his pistol to take aim, a shot rang out behind him, ending the struggle. Carina ripped herself free from the corpse, breathing heavily, wiping and spitting the man's blood from her mouth. Sarah stepped past Chuck, her pistol extended, surveying the rest of the hallway. Carina stood in her panties and a now torn t-shirt, trying to gain her composure. It was at that moment that both Carina and Chuck realized he was standing there, completely naked, except for the MP5 hanging at his hip. Both of their eyes flew open as Chuck quickly swung the MP5 to cover himself. Carina's wide-eyed surprise quickly turned into a salacious grin, causing Chuck's face to turn even redder. He slid past her down the hallway into his room. He quickly put on his mission gear from earlier that night, feeling thankful that he had not taken his gear back to the armory yet.

"Where's Z? Her room's empty but her bed has been slept in," Sarah questioned as she passed his doorway to meet Carina who had slipped on a pair of pants and collected an MP5 from one of the dead. Chuck quickly joined them, hopping on one foot as he put on his shoe.

"I dunno. She came up to bed at the same time I did," Carina replied, a shakiness still in her voice.

"You two should at least put on some shoes. Broken glass and whatnot. Remember Die Hard?" Chuck motioned for them to go. "Meet you downstairs." The women begrudgingly agreed and raced to their respective rooms with the gear they had collected. He reloaded his MP5 and took extra magazines from the dead bodies at his feet. He still had his pistol and knives holstered from his mission gear, plus the newly acquired pistol he stuffed in the front of his pants.

Chuck cautiously made his way down the stairs, sticking close to the wall to minimize the creaking of the stairs. As he approached the kitchen, he could see three dead intruders scattered about. One lay in a pool of blood with a carving knife stuck in his throat, another looked to have been bludgeoned to death with a cast iron skillet and the third had been shot multiple times, the shell casings scattered around the kitchen. Chuck noticed a small trail of blood that stopped near the hidden door to the basement. His heart sank thinking that it could only be Zondra or Casey. Before following down after them, he needed to make sure this level was clear to ensure he wasn't leading anyone down there.

"Holy Shit!" Carina exclaimed as she and Sarah made their way to the kitchen, seeing the carnage before them. Chuck gestured with a finger to his lips, wanting to try to keep their presence a surprise. He pointed to himself and then to the ladies before gesturing to the living and dining rooms. They nodded their understanding and filed in behind him. The three cleared the two rooms, ensuring that this side of the house was clear, including the back patio. The sliding door had been smashed in, indicating that this was the entrance the other team had used. As they made their way through the kitchen, Sarah gasped, tapping Chuck on the shoulder. He merely glanced over his shoulder and nodded his understanding. He pointed toward the theatre and workout rooms, wanting to make sure that the floor was cleared before heading downstairs.

The group made their way through the workout and theatre rooms, not finding any sign of intruders. They checked the garage on that side of the house and found the doors all locked with no signs of hostiles. They made their way back toward the hidden door to the basement and could hear gunfire followed by a small explosion behind the house. It was coming from the direction of the guest house, which was where Casey was staying. Chuck turned to Sarah and Carina, a look of concern on his face.

"You check on Z. I'll go help Casey." He looked directly into Sarah's eyes for a moment, sharing a look of determination. "Please be careful. The basement can be locked down like a panic room. The emergency button is just inside the door. Once you're in, and it's clear, seal it." Sarah began to shake her head in protest but the steely look on Chuck's face allowed no argument. "Please," he pleaded. Finally she nodded, Carina placing a hand on her shoulder, encouraging Sarah to follow her.

"I'll contact you when it's safe. I promise." He gave her a small smile and a wink as he backed away heading toward the patio.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sarah and Carina made their way down the hidden staircase, being sure to secure the door behind them. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they could see that the touchscreen was smeared with blood, a collection of blood on the floor below, but not quite a pool. Sarah wiped the touchscreen with her shirt so she could sign in to unlock the door. When the door opened, they covered one another as they entered the Command Center, closing the security door behind them. The room looked largely untouched, but Carina pointed to herself and then the conference room. Sarah nodded and indicated she would check the kitchenette and bathroom. As Sarah checked her corners and made her way into the kitchenette, she could see that the blood trail lead through there and into the small hall where the bathroom and supply closet were located. As she approached, the bloody handprint on the wall leading toward the bathroom caused her stomach to twist. Sarah grew increasingly concerned for her friend with each passing moment. She moved more quickly, first checking the supply closet before heading into the bathroom. Trying the door, it seemed to be locked and she could hear nothing inside.

"Z," she called out in a loud whisper. Getting no response she called louder, "Z! It's Sarah. Can you open the door?" With that she heard a faint groan which nearly sent Sarah into a panic. "It's OK, Z. I'm coming." Since the door and frame where steel, attempting to kick it in would not be wise. She looked around the area frantically, settling her sights on the fire extinguisher mounted on the wall in the kitchen. She returned to the bathroom, Carina now in tow. With several powerful strikes, the doorknob and locking mechanism broke off, allowing her to work the latch from inside the door to open it. When they burst into the bathroom, Zondra was laying on the floor leaning against the wall with the large first aid kit opened and the contents tossed about. An empty packet of Celox was laying beside her, the area and her clothes covered in blood. It looked like a through and through on her left side, but it was hard to tell if it hit any organs. Apparently, the Celox was doing its job, the bleeding having stopped. Zondra was drifting in and out of consciousness but was as stable as they could make her at the moment. Carina grabbed some emergency blankets from the supply closet and covered Zondra, trying to keep her warm.

"I'm gonna try to get in contact with Beckman or somebody from the outside. Z's gonna need to get to a hospital soon." Sarah stood and patted Carina on the shoulder before she raced to the Command Center. All the landline phones she checked where dead and her cellphone was still in her room. Getting an idea, she ran to the conference room and redialed the last connection from the Polycom unit. She stood, drumming her fingers on the table, impatiently waiting for someone to answer. Sure it was two-thirty in the morning, but this was goddamned life or death. Finally, after about ten rings, the screen came to life, a groggy and very unhappy looking General Beckman was staring back at her from what looked like her bedroom.

"Agent Walker? What's the nature of your emergency?" the older woman asked, her brow furrowing as she noticed Sarah's wet and bloodied t-shirt.

"General, Castle has been compromised. We need a team here ASAP with paramedics," Sarah rushed out.

"Compromised? That's impossible. We have-"

"General, we have nine bodies upstairs that state otherwise. Z- Agent Rizzo has been shot and is in poor condition. She needs medical attention fast!" Beckman seemed taken aback by Sarah's interruption, but the revelations seemed to wake her up, bringing her full attention to the matter at hand.

"Very well Agent Walker. I'll scrabble a team to your location, including a medivac for Agent Rizzo." The General raised an eyebrow before continuing, "Where is the remainder of your team?"

"Agent Miller is tending to Agent Rizzo, Ma'am. Ch- umm- Agent Bartowski went to lend aid to Major Casey at the guest house, after we cleared the main house. Agent Bartowski requested that we secure ourselves in the basement to safeguard Agent Rizzo." Sarah felt a little ashamed that she was down here when she could be helping up top. Perhaps the General would have different orders for her. "Ma'am, would you rather I leave to assist Agent Bartowski?" Beckman studied her for a moment, pondering the situation.

"Negative, Agent Walker. Right now, you're our only contact point inside Castle. Plus, you are to safeguard that data center, should anyone attempt to breach the Command Center. I appreciate your willingness to aid your team members, but I believe that Bartowski was correct in his assessment. There's no doubt that you're a skilled agent, but Bartowski is a Marine and this is what he was trained to do. Stay close by. I'll be in contact when I have an update." With that, the screen went black and the connection terminated. Sarah blew out a long breath as she braced her hands on the table. She stared at the table for a long moment before she was pulled from her thoughts.

"Cheer up, Blondie. It's gonna be alright. Zondra's tough. She'll pull through it." Carina walked into the conference room and placed a hand on Sarah's back, rubbing it up and down, hoping to offer some comfort.

"Yeah. She's too stubborn to die," Sarah chuckled. She stood up, turning to face her friend, letting out another sigh.

"He's gonna be OK too. Remember? He promised." Carina gave her a wry smile and gently pushed Sarah's shoulder. Sarah gave her a small smile and nodded, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Yeah. I sure hope so."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chuck stepped through the hole in the patio sliding door and slipped into the darkness of the back patio. He made his way through the yard, towards the sounds of gunfire, while trying to remain in the shadows as much as possible. There were additional gunshots, at a greater distance, but it was difficult to tell direction from the echo off of the buildings. As he neared the guest house, he could see at least six hostiles taking cover behind trees, stone walls and decorative boulders. All of the lights were off in the guest house but he could see an occasional muzzle flash from a window, Casey trying to keep them at bay.

Sneaking along a low stone wall, his objective to quietly neutralize as many hostiles as possible before his presence was discovered, he was thankful that the moon was behind a the clouds, keeping the area fairly dark, except for the security light outside the guest house. As if someone had read his mind, a few shots rang out, shattering the security light, plunging the area further into darkness. Taking that opportunity to conceal any noise from his movement, Chuck grabbed the first man from behind, driving his combat knife through the man's spine at the base of his skull. The firm grip on the man's mouth prevented any vocalization and aided him in slowly lowering the man to the ground. Chuck took the opportunity, under cover of the wall and darkness, to liberate the man of his NVG and his headset. Donning the dead man's balaclava and stolen gear, he would now blend in with the other intruders, at least on first glance. Chuck took a couple of shots at the house, trying to keep up the appearance that their man was still in place.

Having an epiphany, Chuck felt his pockets and then pulled out his cell phone. He held it away from his body and off to the side so that the screen would not illuminate him. He quickly turned the brightness down and attempted to text Casey. The cellular signal appeared to be jammed, so mobile data was useless. Thankfully, he was close enough to the guest house that he could pick up the wifi signal. Connecting to that access point, he was able to send Casey a message, but it was anyone's guess if it would reach him. Not wanting to wait too long for a response, he slowly made his way further along the wall. A few moments later, his phone vibrated, nearly startling Chuck. Seeing the notification, it was in fact Casey. Chuck quickly typed out a message, hoping that the two working together could end this quickly.

"_South side stonewall. Heading west. Need cover fire for distraction"_

He waited for a moment for a reply. Unexpectedly, that reply came in the form of gunfire raining down from an upstairs window. Using the noise to his advantage, he made up ground, quickly closing the distance between him and the next two hostiles. Without breaking stride, he sent a three-shot burst into each at close range, sending them crumpling to the ground. Casey's firing paused as the remaining hostiles returned fire, peppering the area. Chuck, again, did the same, trying to keep up the illusion that he was one of their men by firing ineffectively at the guest house. Some chatter came from the headset in a language he didn't understand, but sounded eastern European or further. Another voice replied, just as nonsensically, as one of the men broke from his cover to make for the guest house, the other two maintaining their cover fire. Chuck took the initiative and aimed at the two men who remained under cover and opened fire on them, using short bursts for improved accuracy. A voice came on the radio but was cut short as one of the men dropped. The second began to return fire, but as he was more exposed to Chuck in his current position, he too went down after several bursts from Chuck's MP5 as it clicked empty. Not wanting to take the time to reload, he pulled the pistol from the front of his pants and fired at the man attempting to breach the front door of the guest house. Chuck clearly hit the man, but the distance and the tactical vest reduced the effectiveness of the hits. The man spun to return fire, leaning his back against the house. He was leaning slightly, indicating that perhaps Chuck had gotten a good shot in after all. Ducking under cover, shots ricocheted off the boulder he was behind, narrowly missing him. Not daring to move from cover until the hostile exhausted his magazine, Chuck kept in a tight ball behind the large rock. However, the firing stopped prematurely with a much louder shot, followed by the unmistakable sound of a spent shotgun shell clattering on the concrete sidewalk. Chuck cautiously lifted his head and saw Casey standing at the front door with a Mossberg in his hands. Chuck let out a whistle call, one that they had used on previous missions together, before waving a hand in the air. Casey ducked back into the doorway, waving for Chuck to come. With Casey covering, he made a dash for the guest house, Casey closing the door behind him.

"I have to say, I'm glad to see ya, kid. You hurt?" Casey questioned, looking Chuck up and down.

"No. I'm good," Chuck replied shaking his head after pulling off the balaclava. "I think Zondra got hit though. Sarah and Carina are looking after her in the basement. I hope they're having better luck that we are." Casey gave a grunt and nodded his head. "I dunno if you saw, but there are more off to the west. If the perimeter guards can't hold them off, they'll likely head this way." Chuck carefully peaked out the window, just now noticing the scattered bodies of another team that must have tried to breach the guest house. "I see you had guest earlier."

"Yeah. Told 'em to get off my lawn." Chuck and Casey both chuckled momentarily before sobering again.

"Between what's out there and what was left in the house, that's close to twenty men down. What the fuck's going on? Why send that many men, and however many more are out there, to this one location? There are only five of us. Larkin knows that. What the hell is so important here to warrant this type of response?" Chuck pondered aloud as he paced the living room.

"There's the data center in the basement, but surely they'd know we'd blow that as SOP if it were breached. Doesn't make any sense to attack this guest house either," Casey added, shaking his head. Chuck suddenly spun and pointed at Casey.

"I caught one team pulling Carina out of her room. They could have just shot her where she slept, but they didn't. Maybe it's not about the place... Maybe it's about the people?" Chuck's expression grew very concerned.

"People? Not to downplay the team's abilities, but none of us are exactly high value targets. For good reason, most of us are virtually unknowns. What's their play?" Casey gave Chuck a raised eyebrow but was not dismissive. He learned long ago to listen to Chuck's hunches.

"Well, for one thing, there's Larkin," Chuck pointed out as he continued to pace, "He knows the team and what purpose it was built for. Maybe the people he works for, or at least _with_, might have some interest in getting rid of us or try to turn us. I doubt Larkin himself sent these goons here, but he may have given the location to someone with the means to pull this together. Larkin gets us off his back and the people he does business with are happy. Win, win for him." Chuck ran his hands through his hair as he blew out an exasperated breath.

"If that's all true, then we need to get back to the house. Maybe we can hold out longer in that bunker down there, get word out to Beckman," Casey grunted, checking the magazine in his sidearm. Chuck and Casey nodded to one another as Chuck opened the front door to make their exit. The moment he stepped into the doorway, he could see a number of black figures stalking towards the guest house.

"Nope!" Chuck exclaimed as he closed the door and took cover, followed quickly by Casey. Within seconds, the front of the guest house was lit up with gunfire, bullets that made it through tearing up the interior decor. "Maybe they don't want to take us alive after all…" Chuck called out over the din of the gunfire. More breaking glass and pictures falling off the walls punctuated the mess they were in. "It could be just you they don't like. You know, you can be abrasive sometimes," Chuck chided good naturedly as bits of drywall dust rained down on them.

"I got your abrasive… Come on, jackass. Let's head out the back." Casey began to crawl out of the living area, through the kitchen and out into the garage. Climbing to their feet, Chuck could see Casey's Crown Vic in one bay of the garage and in the other, a large, four-person off-road ATV, like a badass golf cart on steroids. Casey popped the trunk on his Crown Vic and pulled out his tactical vest from under a hidden panel, which he immediately put on. Next came out an M4 carbine and extra magazines which he stowed in the vest. Chuck joined him and reached in with an 'Oooo', much like a kid in a candy store. Casey slapped his hand away, giving him a scowl.

"You don't touch another man's hidden weapons cache. What's the matter with you?" Casey chuckled to himself before passing several canister type grenades to Chuck. "Just don't set 'em off in here." Chuck grinned, affixing them to his own vest.

"I've got a plan…" Chuck confessed with a grin on his face. Casey just rolled his eyes, preparing for the worst. The two hashed out the idea, and while not ideal, these were not ideal circumstances. Chuck quickly attached the canister grenades to the roll cage of the ATV with some duct tape, connecting the pull rings to bungee cords that fastened to an extension cord lying on the floor. He then used long strips of duct tape to set the steering wheel at about ten degrees left of center. Chuck started the vehicle while Casey hit the button for the garage door opener as he lay prone on the garage floor with his M4 at the ready. As the door rose, he saw two forms coming up the driveway, moving to find cover once the door began to move. Two well placed shots and both men were down.

"Hit it kid," Casey called out, prompting Chuck to wedge the tire iron from Casey's trunk against the gas pedal, then throwing it into gear. As the vehicle screeched out of the garage, Chuck stepping on the extension cord, holding it in place and causing the rings to pull from the canisters just after clearing the garage threshold. White smoke began to billow from the vehicle as it made its gentle arc into the yard and towards the house, drawing fire from the hostiles in the area. The humidity allowed the smoke to hang in the air forming a thick wall of smoke in the vehicle's wake. As Casey got to his feet, Chuck opened the door that lead to the kitchen. He pulled the pin on one of the remaining canister grenades and threw it through the kitchen area and into the living room, closing the door behind him. He and Casey met up just as the explosion of the flash bang erupted. They hoped that the explosion and the vehicle would serve as enough distraction to allow them to get back to the house. They sprinted onto the smoky pathway, following it towards the house. Gunfire sounded sporadically but as there was no clear human target, they were being cautious not to waste ammunition. As they neared the house, the arc of the ATV's path diverged from their own, leaving them exposed as they covered the last twenty yards to the patio. A loud crash sounded behind them as the ATV slammed into a decorative boulder in the yard, causing it to roll. Hearing the ricochet of bullets around them, they ducked low as they finally made it through the back patio door. They continued through to the kitchen, sliding to a stop on the back side of the kitchen island, the heavy wood and granite offering them some small cover. Chuck moved to the corner to cover the back door they just entered through.

"Shit! I told Sarah to initiate the lock down once they were safely downstairs. Damnit!" Chuck berated himself for just now remembering that small, yet very significant detail.

"Ordinarily I'd say that was a good call…" Casey grunted as he unleashed a couple of bursts from his M4 in the direction they had come from. The clambering of patio furniture signaled that someone either got spooked or got dead, crashing into the chairs.

"Is there any way to reach them down there, to see if it's clear? The house intercom maybe?" Chuck fired three bursts from his MP5 in an effort to discourage anyone from entering through the patio.

"Good idea. Let's find out." Casey slid on his hands and knees across the floor to the intercom mounted on the wall behind them. Using the barrel of his M4 he pressed and held the intercom button. "Walker! You copy?" Chuck peeked out and fired another burst to cover Casey. There was no response from the intercom and they didn't have a lot of time to sit and wait around. A few more seconds ticked by and Casey called out again, "Walker! Do. You. Copy?" Chuck unleashed more bursts toward the patio, draining the magazine. He quickly ejected the spent magazine and loaded a refresh (fresh?) one.

"This-this is Walker. I copy. Casey, wh-where are you?" At the sound of her voice, Chuck's tension dropped considerably, despite their situation. Casey also seemed relieved, pressing the intercom button again.

"We're in the-"

Out of the corner of Chuck's eye he caught movement and immediately fell to his back, calling out "Oh Shit!" The barrel of his MP5 aimed between his knees, he quickly fired off several bursts, the lead intruder taking multiple rounds, slumping to the ground in a heap. It appeared as though they were coming in through the front entry but were now pinned down by Chuck's onslaught. Chuck and Casey started backing out of the kitchen toward the hidden door. Casey gestured toward the hidden door and took up a firing stance. Chuck nodded and made for the door as Casey laid down cover fire in hopes of keeping the intruders from seeing their exit. Chuck got the door open and called to Casey. Chuck pulled the last canister grenade from his tactical vest and pulled the pin. Casey got the message and made his way down the stairs as Chuck hurled the grenade toward the intruder's location. As the grenade bounced into the foyer, he could hear them yelling as he closed the secret door behind him. A moment later they could hear the explosion of the flashbang as they sat on the stairs regrouping. Chuck could hear some groans and cursing as well as words he couldn't understand. He turned to see that Casey was already down the stairs and scanning into the biometric lock. As it was in lockdown, Casey had to enter a series of additional codes to bypass it but was ultimately allowed entry. When the door swung open they were greeted with the barrels of two MP5s. Once they realized they were not aimed at them, but rather aimed past them up the stairs, they quickly entered the Command Center, the women closing and securing the door behind them.

Chuck leaned against an adjacent wall and slid down to the floor, rubbing his hands over his face and through his hair. He blew out a long breath as he began to come down from the adrenaline rush. Sarah was immediately at his side, kneeling down to examine him.

"Chuck! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" The fear in her voice was noticeable but she was keeping it together, focusing on what she could control. He took one of her hands in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, shooting her a reassuring smile.

"No. No, I'm alright. I'm fine. Just taking a breath. They almost got the drop on us in the kitchen, but we're OK. Casey?" Chuck called out to his friend, looking him up and down to see if he was injured.

"I'm good, Kid," Casey replied, waving him off. Carina brought them each a bottle of water from the small kitchen. Chuck didn't miss the long look that Carina gave Casey, nor the small smile and nod that he gave her in return. Chuck drained the bottle of water then pushed himself up to his feet.

"How is it out there?" Carina asked, looking between the two men. "Most of the cameras are disabled, so we're blind down here."

"There must be thirty or more men that stormed this place, between the two houses and the perimeter. I don't know how the perimeter guards fared, but I suspect not so well." Chuck shook his head thinking of the massive loss of life scattered around this compound. "If only we could get a signal to someone on the outside."

"We did," Sarah chimed in. Chuck snapped his head up to look at her with surprise. "Yeah. The phones were down, but we still have Internet access apparently. So I just redialed Beckman on the Polycom in the conference room."

"God, I could kiss you," Chuck exclaimed, with a look that was equal parts adoration and lust. Sarah just bounced an eyebrow before continuing.

"She said she was going to scramble a team to help clear the place and request a medivac for Zondra." With that, Chuck gasped, his eyes going wide.

"Zondra! Shit! How is she? Is-is she OK?" Chuck was deeply concerned for his friend and teammate, especially knowing that she had likely been shot. Sarah placed her hands on Chuck's shoulders to steady him and pull his focus back to her.

"Relax! She's relatively stable for now but unconscious. Nothing more we can do until the place is cleared and we can get a Medivac in here." Sarah gave Chuck a small smile before continuing. "In the meantime, did you guys find out anything? Who they are? Who sent them? How they found this place?"

"Well, we have a pretty good idea how they found the place," Casey began. "We suspect Larkin sold us out… again. If he learned that we made it out of the embassy alive, then he may have divulged the location of this place."

"It could be one or more of the many unknown double-agents we've been tasked with weeding out," Carina added, putting her feet up on one of the computer desks." If one of them got wind of this task force and its location…" Carina trailed off, shrugging.

"True. It's entirely possible that it's both. I mean, the conversation I overheard, Bryce seemed to indicate that his little deal had nothing to do with the reason we were actually at the embassy. This could have been planned out in advance." Sarah began to pace, tapping her bottom lip as she thought. "Casey, you said that Bryce was put on this team by the CIA right? It was made a 'package deal' in order to get Zondra? Who put him here and why?"

"That's a really good question. One I'd like to find the answer to." Casey's jaw clenched, the muscles visibly flexing. This was his team, his responsibility. He should have known something like this could happen, should have been prepared for it. Before they could discuss any further, the Polycom unit in the conference room began to chime. Sarah rushed in to answer it, followed closely by the others. By the time the video conference session loaded, everyone was seated around the table. General Beckman was no longer in her sleepwear, but was in casual civilian clothing, her hair still slightly out of sorts. The background of the call seemed to be a home office on a laptop rather than her bedroom on her cellphone.

"Morning team. Major. It's good to see you all gathered. How is Agent Rizzo?" The older woman seemed to show genuine concern, sounding a little less rigid than what would normally be expected.

"She's unconscious but fairly stable at the moment, Ma'am," Sarah replied. The General nodded her understanding.

"First, I have deployed two teams to the safe house compound and they indicated their arrival about two minutes ago. Drone footage of the area shows only a handful of hostiles remaining. They should make quick work of them. You reacted quickly and performed admirably. Good job team." Thanks were offered from around the table, though their hearts were not wholly in it.

"Second, your entire team will be lifted out of that compound and flown to a covert medical facility. Take any necessary personal belongings as you won't be returning. Team, we've intercepted some chatter which indicates that they were specifically targeting the team that was stationed in that facility. Your team. We don't have any further details, but we need for you to go to ground until we can figure this out. Once Agent Rizzo is well enough she can rejoin you."

"I'm sorry, General. Rejoin us?" Chuck spoke up, an edge to his voice. The General raised an eyebrow but answered matter-of-factly.

"That's correct. She will remain at the medical facility until such time as she is cleared for duty." Chuck was opening his mouth to protest when Casey spoke up.

"General, with all due respect, we will not be leaving one of our team members behind. I don't fully trust anyone outside of this team with her protection, so we'll stay with her until she's fit to travel. Then we'll all leave… together." Casey's tone offered no room for argument and the General seemed taken aback. Those around the table were prepared for a royal ass-chewing as they looked between Casey and the video screen. Instead of a scowl, it looked almost like Beckman was fighting off a grin.

"Very well Major. Then I will assign you and your team to head up the security for that facility until such time as Agent Rizzo is cleared to leave." The older woman was silent for a moment as she considered the team in the video feed.

"It's painfully evident that the addition of former-Agent Larkin to the team was at best a grave error or at worst an intentional deceit. You'll need to fill his place on the team, but I'm hesitant to consider agents from any of our agencies. It is imperative that your team trust them, as you've seen, it may well mean the difference between life and death. Do any of you have someone in mind?" The General looked at the team through the video conference feed, curious who they may come up with. Sarah and Carina looked at each other and shrugged. For them, the only people they trusted were already on the team. Chuck looked at Casey as a grin began to form.

"Well. There is … one person," Chuck interjected, not looking away from Casey, a wry smile spreading across his face

"Oooooh, No. No. No. No," Casey protested, pointing an accusing finger at Chuck. "Not him! Anybody but him!"

* * *

A/N: I wonder who they could have in mind? No, seriously. Who is it? They won't tell me. Meh, I'll figure it out.

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